Roukas' 24 leads Arcadia in rollercoaster loss to Lycoming

Box Score GLENSIDE, Pa.: Arcadia University Women's Basketball erased a 13 point halftime deficit to make it a two point Lycoming lead (70-68) with 33 seconds to play but some tough calls against the Knights and key free throws by the Warriors allowed Lycoming to escape with a 74-68 win in today's Commonwealth Conference battle.

First year Victoria Roukas led Arcadia with 24 points and 12 rebounds while junior Angie Adams scored 18 for the Knights who drop to 3-10 overall and 0-4 in the league. Lycoming improves to 8-6 and 3-1 in the Commonwealth.

After the two teams settled into a tightly-called contest in the early going, Roukas gave the Knights a three-point lead three minutes in, but it would not last as the Warrior's Chelsea Scherer tied it with a three-pointer at 16:57. Lycoming would remain in front but by only a small margin, holding no more than a six point lead when Adams rang in with a two made free-throws and converted on her only three of the opening half to bring the Knights' within four with 9:32 to go in the half.

With Lycoming leading 23-19, head coach Christine Ditzler went to her bench and found Leeann Randall whose three pointer at 9:08 sparked an 11-3 run for her Warriors, sinking another one from long-range a minute later to put the visitors on top 32-21 with 6:21 to play in the half. A three pointer from senior Ashley Gripper capped a 10-5 run for the home team with Lycoming in front by 6, 37-31, with under two minutes to go but Randall was sent to the line for three free throws and Arcadia committed two costly turnovers to allow the Warriors a 13 point halftime advantage, 44-31. Randall finished the half nailing all three triples for 14 points while Julia Antonelli scored 11. The Knights allowed Lycoming to score 16 points from their 17 first half turnovers but Arcadia out-shot the Warriors 47.7% to 46.7% from the floor and 83.3% to 73.3% at the line. Roukas finished the half with a dozen for Arcadia.

Lycoming's lead grew to 15 to start the second half before Arcadia came storming back to make it a four-point game. With the Warriors in front 48-33 at 18:42, the Knights caused two key Lycoming turnovers, hit a few buckets in the paint, Adams hit for another three pointer and the team shot 6 for 8 at the line all in a three-minute span to steal the momentum back. And then they hit a dry-spell. Adams' three at 17:14 would be the only Knight's field goal until 10:14 when Roukas scored in the paint. She added another shortly thereafter putting Arcadia within five, 54-49 with 9:45 to play. A pair of free throws by senior Christine Taylor made it a one possesion game, 54-51 at 9:04 and a steal and fast break from sophomore Jessica Campbell was just what the Knights needed as the game was nearly locked back up, with Lycoming clinging to a one-point lead 54-53 with 8:59 to play.

The Warriors eventually made some shots to sretch their lead back out to nine, with 3:10 remaining on another three-ball from Schearer yet the Knights would not back down, and an Adams' bucket at with 56 seconds left put Arcadia back within two of the Warriors 68-66 lead. The final minute of action saw Lycoming make some critical shots at the line as the Knights were forced to foul and the Warriors would escape the Kuch Center with a 74-68 victory.

Five players scored in double-figures for Lycoming, led by Antonelli's 17 and Randall's 16. Schearer and Kylee Sutton finished with a dozen apeice while Scheller added 10.

In addition to Roukas and Adams (5 assists) top-scoring afternoon for Arcadia, junior Jackie Law scored 5 points but more importantly, caused 5 Lycoming turnovers, finishing with 5 steals, 3 assists and 4 rebounds. Taylor chipped in with 9 on a 7 for 8 performance from the line, along with 6 rebounds. The Knights finished the game shooting 42.6% from the field, better than Lycoming's 39.3% and also won the battle of the boards, out-rebounding the Warriors 44 to 34.

The Knights host non-conference rival Haverford College this Monday evening at 6 p.m. at the Kuch Center before returning to Commonwealth play at Widener on Wed. Jan. 18.

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