READING, Pa. – The Lebanon Valley Women's Basketball team never trailed and held off a second half rally by host Albright College on Tuesday afternoon in a 64-59 victory over the Lions at the Bollman Center in Reading.
 
LVC (6-3) got out to a strong start as they held Albright (5-3) off the scoreboard for the first two minutes. Kailey Eckhart knocked down a pair of free throws and then Jordan Zimmerman found Riley Hevelow cutting to the basket to give the Dutchmen a 4-0 lead. The Lions outscored LVC 5-2 over the next two minutes to cut the advantage down to one.
 
Hevelow knocked down a three on the left wing and then Abbie reed hit a jumper with just under four to play in the quarter to increase the advantage to 11-5. The LVC run continued as they held Albright scoreless over the next four possessions while getting a bucket from Hevelow and two layups from Brielle Reidinger. Hevelow then gave the Dutchmen the biggest lead of the game at 14 points with a jumper in the final minute of the quarter. Albright scored on a putback layup to cut it to 19-7 at the end of one.
 
The Lions opened the scoring in the second quarter with a three-pointer before Hevelow answered right back with a bucket. The Lions scored four of the next six points before Reed hit a three on the left wing to give LVC a 26-14 lead. The Lions held the Dutchmen scoreless over the next three minutes and were able to score a pair of buckets to get within eight. Reed and Hevelow on back-to-back possessions. Albright scored in the paint before Reed came up with a big steal and pass up to a streaking Cristina Fernandez for a fastbreak layup. The Lions scored on a offensive putback in the final minute to cut the lead to 32-22 at the half.
 
Albright came out strong to begin the second half and outscored the Dutchmen 8-4 over the first three minutes forcing LVC to call its first timeout of the game. The Lions were able to get the advantage down to five at 37-32 before Hevelow found Eckhart open for a three midway through the quarter. The Lions responded with a pair of threes and a layup while Hevelow scored for the Dutchmen to make it a one possession game at 42-40 with 3:20 on the clock. Fernandez had a big driving layup and then Elise Balmer scored underneath the basket to give the Dutchmen some breathing room. LVC held the Lions without a made field goal over the final three minutes of the quarter, but Albright did knock down a pair of free throws to cut it to 46-42 heading into the fourth quarter.
 
Albright began the fourth with a three pointer before Zimmerman grabbed an offensive rebound and then Eckhart scored down low. The lead was at two when Hevelow knocked down a three on the left wing off an assist from Eckhart with 7:30 remaining. Albright was able to get the deficit back down to two before Reidinger put back her own miss. The Lions responded with the next four points to tie the game up at 55 midway through the quarter.
 
The teams traded layups before Hevelow scored a big three-point play with a made layup while being fouled and then the free throw to put the Dutchmen back up by three with 3:36 on the clock. Neither team was able to score with seven missed shots in a row. The Dutchmen had the ball with time winding down on the shot clock near the minute mark when Hevelow hit a step back jumper on the left wing to increase the lead to five. LVC fouled at the other end and the Lions made both free throws. Fernandez then put the game away with a made jumper near the baseline on the right side with 13 seconds left. Albright took a desperation three at the other end, but Reidinger blocked it and Reed grabbed the rebound to end the game.
 
Inside the Box

• Hevelow poured in a game-high 25 points marking her fifth game with 20 or more points this season. The junior was 11-20 from the field with two three-pointers while pulling down three rebounds and dishing out two assists.
• Reidinger recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 13 points and 12 rebounds. The junior added one assist, one steal, and one block to her stat line.
• Fernandez was the third Dutchmen in double figures scoring with 10 points. The guard pulled down three rebounds, had one assist, and one steal.
• Reed added seven points and five rebounds on 3-5 shooting.
• Eckhart finished with seven points and four assists while Balmer had two points.
• The Dutchmen finished the game with a 45.6 shot percentage after shooting 61.5 percent in the first quarter.
• LVC broke a three-game losing streak against the Lions as they earned the first win in the series since a 55-47 victory in Reading on February 12, 2022.

Up Next
The Dutchmen will break for the holidays and will return to action in 12 days with a huge test against Division I Drexel University on Sunday December 29. Tip-off inside the Daskalakis Athletic Center in Philadelphia is scheduled for 2 p.m. against the defending Coastal Athletic Association champions.
 
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