LANCASTER, Pa. – Brielle Reidinger recorded her second consecutive double-double with 11 points and 16 rebounds to lead the Lebanon Valley women's basketball team in a 72-49 defeat at Franklin & Marshall College on Thursday evening at the Mayser Center in Lancaster.
 
The first 90 seconds were a defensive battle between the teams as both squads made great defensive plays to keep the game scoreless. Kailey Eckhart scored the first points of the game with a driving layup. The Diplomats answered at the other end with a bucket and a free throw to take a 3-2 lead. F&M held the Dutchmen without a point over the six minutes while scoring 10 on a jumper, two three-pointers, and a pair of free throws to take an 11-2 lead. Megan Albrecht stopped the run as she was fouled going to the rim and knocked down her two shots at the line. The Diplomats scored on a second-chance jumper to push the lead back to 11. Both teams made a free throw before Reidinger scored in the paint with 13 seconds left to make it 16-7. The Diplomats got a three-pointer off right at the buzzer, but Albrecht knocked it away for a block.
 
The Diplomats scored on the first possession of the second quarter on a pair of free throws. Eckhart scored with a power move underneath the basket and then knocked down a pair of free throws to cut the deficit to seven. The teams traded layups with Reidinger finding Alexa Holcomb underneath the basket for two points. A couple of possessions later, Holcomb stole the ball and Reidinger hit Eckhart in transition for a fastbreak layup to bring the Dutchmen within five points. Neither team scored over the next three minutes until Reidinger put back her own layup to bring the score to 20-17 with just over three minutes to play in the half. The Diplomats answered with the next five points on a pair of free throws and a three to push the lead back up to eight. Albrecht knocked down a pair of shots at the line before back-to-back threes by the hosts gave F&M a 31-19 advantage with a little under a minute left. Reidinger was fouled and hit both shots to cut the lead to 31-21 at the half.
 
Reidinger began the scoring in the third quarter as she made the front end of two shots at the line. Riley Hevelow knocked down a pull-up jumper a minute later to get LVC within seven. The Diplomats countered with a three-pointer to push the advantage back to double digits. Eckhart hit Reidinger down low for a layup before F&M countered with a layup at the other end. The Diplomats held the Dutchmen without a point for almost the final five minutes of the quarter. In the meantime, they slowly increased their advantage with a 10-0 run. The Dutchmen ended the quarter with a Hevelow three at the horn to make it 46-29 after 45 minutes of play.
 
The Diplomats were able to keep their advantage at 17 over the first couple of possessions as Eckhart knocked down a three and Riley Hatzfeld hit a jumper for the Dutchmen. A three-pointer and a bucket in the paint gave F&M a 22-point lead with 6:30 left. Albrecht scored on a layup while being fouled and made the shot at the line. Reidinger got the deficit back to 17 with a pair of made free throws. The teams traded layups with Hevelow hitting Albrecht cutting to the basket with just over five minutes left. F&M responded with a pair of threes to take its largest lead of the night. LVC battled back as Hatzfeld hit a jumper, Hevelow had a steal and bucket, and then Hevelow knocked down a three to make it 64-48. Eckhart knocked down a free throw before the Diplomats finished the game with eight made free throws over the final minute to set the final score.
 
Inside the Box

• Reidinger scored in double figures for the third time to begin the season and grabbed a season-high 16 rebounds. She pulled down 12 rebounds on the defensive end, with four coming on the offensive glass. The senior also dished out two assists and recorded one steal.
• Eckhart had a team-high 12 points and four rebounds.
• Hevelow was LVC's third scorer in double figures with 10 points. She pulled down three rebounds, blocked one shot, recorded one steal, and dished out one assist.
• Albrecht had a season-high nine points, going 2-3 from the field and a perfect 5-5 at the line.
• Hatzfeld added four points while Holcomb had two, and Abbie Reed had one.
• The Dutchmen scored 22 points in the paint and had 17 points off 17 F&M turnovers.
• LVC made a season-high 14 shots at the line and took a season-high 24 attempts.

Up Next
The Dutchmen will have five days to prepare for the team's home opener on Tuesday, Nov. 18, as they take on Muhlenberg College at Sorrentino Gymnasium. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. against the Mules.

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