ANNVILLE, Pa. – The Lebanon Valley women's basketball team used a balanced scoring attack to defeat Misericordia University 62-43 on Saturday afternoon in the team's first home conference game of the season at Sorrentino Gymnasium in Annville. The win extended the program's win streak to 10 games.
 
The Dutchmen (11-2, 2-0 MAC Freedom) got off to a slow start offensively against the Cougars (6-7, 1-1 MAC Freedom). Misericordia hit a pair of shots in the paint while LVC missed its first three shots of the game. Kailey Eckhart scored on a layup with 7:37 on the clock to cut the deficit in half at 4-2. The Cougars knocked down another jumper in the paint before Alexa Holcomb made a traditional three-point play with a great driving layup while being fouled. Misericordia answered right back with a three-pointer. Riley Hevelow knocked down a pull-up on the left wing before another three-pointer by the Cougars gave Misericordia its largest lead at 12-7 with four minutes to play in the quarter.
 
The Dutchmen needed less than two minutes to turn that deficit into a lead as Adrianna Stricek scored down low in transition off a great pass from Megan Albrecht, Brielle Reidinger found Hevelow open underneath the rim, and Eckhart knocked down a pair of free throws after being fouled on a drive to the hoop. Albrecht extended the lead to three with a bucket, and then Hevelow knocked down a mid-range pull-up right before the quarter ended.
 
The Cougars scored the first points of the second quarter with a pair of free throws a little over a minute in. Hevelow had a pair of pull-up jumpers, one just outside the paint on the left side, and one at the free-throw line to push the lead to 21-14. Misericordia made its first field goal in seven minutes of game time with just under seven minutes to play in the half and used a 6-2 run to cut the advantage to three points.
 
LVC responded right back as Erika Badner knocked down a three-pointer on the right wing, Stricek scored another transition layup, and Eckhart drilled a jumper on the left side. The lead was cut to seven as the Cougars sandwiched a Stricek free throw with a pair of jumpers. Redinger put back her own miss. The Cougars scored in the final minute before Badner knocked down another three-pointer and then found Stricek open underneath the rim right before the half expired to give the Dutchmen a 38-26 halftime advantage.
 
The Dutchmen came out hot to begin the third quarter with the first nine points to take a 21-point lead. Eckhart made one of two free throws, Badner hit her third three-pointer of the game, and Holcomb scored on a pull-up jumper at the top of the key to force the Cougars to call a timeout. The run continued out of the break with Reidinger making the front end of two free throws, and Eckhart scoring on a driving layup. The teams traded baskets in the paint with Albrecht hitting Reidinger down low. Reidinger added another layup with 3:35 on the clock to give the Dutchmen a 51-28 advantage. The Cougars scored twice in the final two minutes to get the deficit to 19 heading into the fourth quarter.
 
Misericordia began the scoring in the final quarter with a corner three-pointer. Neither team was able to make a field goal over the next three minutes, but the Dutchmen did get a made free throw from Holcomb and Hevelow to push the lead back up to 18. The Cougars answered with a 7-0 run over the next two minutes to cut the advantage to 53-42 with 4:28 left. LVC locked down on defense and only allowed the Cougars one made free throw over the final four minutes while scoring nine points on the offensive end. Eckhart hit a pair of free throws, and then Badner hit a dagger three-pointer on the left wing to make it a 16-point game with three minutes on the clock. Hevelow had a step-back jumper, and Reidinger made two free throws to close out the scoring.
 
Inside the Box

• Five Dutchmen scored at least nine points, led by Hevelow with 13. The senior played all 40 minutes and was 6-for-16 from the field with three steals.
• Badner scored a career-high 12 points on four made three-pointers. She also pulled down two rebounds and dished out two assists.
• Eckhart was the third scorer in double figures with 11 points and seven rebounds.
• Reidinger was a point and a rebound shy of a double-double with nine and nine. The senior pulled down three boards on the offensive glass and dished out two assists.
• Stricek had nine points and three rebounds in 20 minutes off the bench.
• Holcomb pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds and scored six points.
• The Dutchmen had a 38-29 rebounding advantage and pulled down eight rebounds on the offensive end, leading to 14 second-chance points.

Up Next
The Dutchmen will battle for sole possession of first place in the conference standings with DeSales University on Wednesday, Jan. 14, at Sorrentino Gymnasium. Tip-off against the Bulldogs is scheduled for 6 p.m. in a rematch of last year's heartbreaking MAC Freedom semifinal defeat.

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