Cold Shooting Plagues Knights at Lycoming

Box Score
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa.: Trailing by six at the half, Arcadia University could not turn around a lackluster shooting performance and allowed host Lycoming College to run out to a double-digit lead they would never relinquish as the Warriors topped the Knights 59-45 to keep their playoff hopes alive in today's Commonwealth Conference women's basketball matchup.

Lycoming (10-10, 5-5 CC) was led by three players in double-figures, with team leading scorer Julia Antonelli leading the way with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists, all game-highs. Erin Connaghan scored 11 points on 5 for 6 shooting while Kylee Sutton finished with 16 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocked shots.

Arcadia (3-17, 0-10) got their team high of 14 points from senior Christine Taylor, who finished 3 for 8 from distance. Junior Jackie Law added 9 points and 8 boards while first year Victoria Roukas scored 9 points to go along with 7 rebounds.

The Warriors out-shot the Knights 45% - 25% but Arcadia bettered Lycoming at the line (66.7% - 64.7%) and from three point land (31.3%) where the Warriors finished 0 for 8. The Knights owned the glass, out-rebounding the Warriors 42-31 but Arcadia committed 29 turnovers that yeilded 25 points to Lycoming.

Antonelli and Sutton accounted for all twelve of the Warriors opening points but the early going set the tone for the entire first half as the Knights, despite their poor shooting percentage, showed determination to not let this game get away. A basket by Sutton at 13:45 put Lycoming on top 10-5 but a three pointer from Arcadia junior Angie Adams at 13:31 and her assist to senior Ashley Gripper for two at 11:37 tied the game at 10-all. A bucket from Law at 10:52 put the Knights on top for the first time, and Taylor hit one of two from the line at 10:28, giving Arcadia a 13-10 lead.

With things beginning to go right for the Knights, Lycoming used their home court advantage for a quick response to the Arcadia's first and would be only lead of the game. Two made charity tosses from Antonelii and a go-ahead bucket from Connaghan began an 18-4 Lycoming run as the Warriors regained the lead and remained in front for what would turn out to be the rest of the contest. Arcadia could not get a break offensively, and following Law's bucket at 10:52 missed their next ten attempts from the floor until first year Michaela Holleran drained a three with :47 seconds to go before the half. That basket closed the Knights gap to six with Lycoming in front 28-22 at the break.

The rims continued to favor the home team as Lycoming used a 6-0 run at the expense of Arcadia's continued cold shooting, going 0 for 6 to start the second half. When Roukas hit both attempts at the line and added two off the glass at 15:10, it was only a ten-point lead (36-26) for Lycoming with plenty of time for the Knights to hold down the defensive end and improve their shot selection. While the Warriors went up by 18 with 8:30 to play, Arcadia used an 8-0 run to close in one final time. The Knights got three big shots, all from downtown from Taylor with in a three-minute span, the third bringing Arcadia back to within 10 of Lycoming's 52-42 lead. However, Taylor's final three-ball at 6:58 would be the Knight's final field goal of the game as they would go on to lose today's league contest by 14.

The Knights have four regular season games remaining on their 2011-12 schedule, all Commonwealth Conference contests, beginning with Widener University visiting Glenside, this Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 6 p.m.

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