ANNVILLE, Pa. – Abbie Reed recorded the second double-double of her career to lead four scorers in double figures for the Lebanon Valley women's basketball team in a big 68-44 victory over visiting Muhlenberg College on Tuesday evening at Sorrentino Gymnasium in the team's first home game of the year.
 
The first five minutes of the game were a defensive battle with eight total points scored. The Mules scored the first points a little over a minute in on a driving layup. Riley Hevelow answered right back at the other end of the floor with a layup. Muhlenberg hit a jumper before Brielle Reidinger and Kailey Eckhart both made one of two shots at the line to even the score with 5:25 remaining in the quarter. Neither team scored again until the Mules got a driving layup to go in while being fouled. After the free throw was missed, LVC grabbed the rebound and outscored the Mules 8-0 over the final three minutes of the quarter. Reed knocked down a pair of shots at the line to tie the score. Hevelow hit a step-back jumper, Reed intercepted a pass and scored the fastbreak layup, and then Hevelow knocked down another jumper to make it 12-6.
 
Muhlenberg started the second quarter with a bucket. After getting a stop on defense, they cut the lead to three with the front end of two free throws. Reed grabbed the rebound, grabbed another rebound on the offensive glass, and found Riley Hatzfeld streaking to the hoop for a layup. The Mules responded with the next four points on a pair of free throws and a bucket in the paint to get within one. LVC countered with a 9-0 run over the next three minutes to take a double-digit advantage. Hevelow knocked down a foul shot before Eckhart hit Hatzfeld, who was cutting to the rim for a layup while being fouled. Hatzfeld knocked down the shot at the line and then scored on the next offensive possession with a driving layup. Reed gave the Dutchmen a 23-13 lead as she knocked down a three on the left wing with around five minutes to play in the half. Muhlenberg held the Dutchmen scoreless over the next two-plus minutes while scoring on a pair of layups to cut the deficit to six. Eckhart had a pull-up jumper in the paint and then converted two shots at the line in the final minute to put LVC back up by 10 at the half.
 
LVC broke the game wide open with a big third quarter. They outscored the Mules 30-11 in the quarter to take a 29-point advantage while holding the visitors to just two made field goals in the quarter. After the Mules scored on the first possession of the half, Alexa Holcomb found Reed on the left wing for a three-pointer. Hevelow scored on a driving layup and then knocked down a pair of foul shots. Eckhart scored the next four points with two shots at the line and a bucket underneath the hoop. The Mules paused the run with a pair of made free throws before Eckhart scored on a second-chance layup while being fouled. The senior made her shot at the line to push the advantage to 20 points at 41-21. Hatzfeld knocked down a three-pointer, and then Reed scored on a layup off a pass from Holcomb. The Mules hit two more free throws before Hevelow and Hatzfeld scored in the paint on back-to-back possessions. The lead was at 26 points when Brielle Reidinger scored on a turnaround jumper down low with a minute to play. The Mules scored their final two points of the period on a pair of free throws. Hatzfeld knocked down a step-back jumper at the top of the key, and then Hevelow knocked down the back end of two shots at the line to put the Dutchmen up 57-28.
 
The Dutchmen took their largest lead of the game in the first two minutes of the fourth quarter. Muhlenberg scored first before Reidinger made a traditional three-point play. Hevelow grabbed a defensive rebound and then knocked down a three-pointer off a pass from Reidinger. Reed gave the Dutchmen a 34-point advantage at 64-30 with a free throw. The Mules started to slowly chip into the lead, scoring the next eight points on a jumper and a pair of three-pointers over a span of four minutes. Erin Ford found Erika Badner open at the top of the key for a three-pointer to end LVC's scoreless drought with just under three minutes to play. The Mules scored twice before Kayla Kirkpatrick scored her first collegiate points on a made free throw in the final minute. Muhlenberg set the final score with a jumper.
 
Inside the Box

• Reed had a season-high 13 points and a season-high 12 rebounds for her double-double. The junior was 4-for-7 from the field, knocked down two threes, and was 3-for-4 at the line. She also pulled down three rebounds on the offensive glass.
• Hevelow scored a game and season-high 17 points. She also grabbed a season-high seven rebounds and recorded a season-high three steals.
• Hatzfeld scored a season-high 16 points and grabbed a season-high four rebounds. The first-year was 6-for-14 from the field and a perfect 3-for-3 at the line.
• Eckhart equaled her season-high with 12 points, including six points at the line. The senior also equaled her season-high in rebounds with five and blocked two shots.
• Reidinger saw limited minutes due to early foul trouble but still contributed six points, four rebounds, one block, and one assist in 17 minutes of action.
• Badner hit a three-pointer on her only shot of the game while Kirkpatrick scored the first point of her career. Holcomb led the team with two assists.
• The Dutchmen grabbed a season-high 48 rebounds and had a 48-32 advantage on the glass. They scored 13 second-chance points off 11 offensive rebounds.
• LVC held onto the ball, committing a season-low nine turnovers while forcing 13. The Dutchmen scored 10 points off turnovers.
• The team knocked down a season-high five three-pointers and scored 28 points in the paint. LVC was 19-28 at the line.
• The Dutchmen won their home opener for the third season in a row.
• LVC faced Muhlenberg for the first time since 1994. They also won that meeting, needing overtime to come away with a 63-61 victory in Allentown.

Up Next
The Dutchmen will be back on the road this weekend as they make the trip to Aston to face Neumann University on Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. against the Knights inside the Mirenda Center.

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