Box Score GLENSIDE, Pa. – The Arcadia University women's basketball had its chances to draw even in the final minute but was unable to take advantage as second-place Albright College held on for a 71-68 Commonwealth Conference win Saturday at Alumni Gymnasium. The Knights' honored seniors
Megan Fox and
Michaela Holleran in a Senior Day ceremony prior to tipoff.
The Lions improved to 17-6 overall and 11-3 in conference play, while the Knights fell to 11-12 overall and 7-7 in conference action. Arcadia is now tied with Lebanon Valley College for fourth in the conference standings. Both teams hold a half-game lead on Lycoming College and trail Messiah College by one with two games to play in the regular season.
Fox scored 19 points with four rebounds, four assists and three steals on Senior Day, while junior
Maureen Fiocca also poured in 19 points while grabbing five rebounds. Junior
Addy Crenny tallied her conference-leading 18th double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Crenny now has 299 rebounds this season, and needs just eight more to surpass Jackie Law's NCAA Division III era record total of 306 rebounds set in 2009-10. Crenny is third on the DIII blocked shot list with 47. Fiocca moved into a tie for fourth on the program's NCAA Division III era single-season scoring list, matching Caitlin Sparks' 341 points scored in 2008-09.
Junior Kelecia Harris posted a double-double with game-high totals of 20 points and 17 rebounds to lead Albright, while sophomore Shannon Thomas added 18 points with five boards. Freshman Jane Joyce finished with 11 points, seven rebounds and three steals.
The two teams traded runs throughout the first half and it was the Lions getting hot late as they closed the opening frame with a 12-3 run to overcome a four-point deficit and take a 41-34 advantage into the locker room. Albright led by nine after freshman Devan Horka sank a pair of free throws to make it 60-51 with 7:22 to go before a 10-3 surge by the Knights brought them back within two after Fox drained a three with 3:06 left.
It would be a one-possession game in multiple occasions during those final three minutes, but Arcadia never was able to draw even or take the lead. The Knights were down three and had the ball with 37 seconds to go before junior
Valerie DiMuro was whistled for an offensive foul, giving the ball back to Albright. Arcadia was down two after Fiocca made layup as she was fouled and converted the free throw that followed to make it 70-68 with five seconds on the clock.
The Knights had to foul and two seconds were allowed to run off on the inbound that followed before the foul call was made. Joyce would miss the first and make the second to put the Lions up three and the Knights got the inbounding pass to Fiocca, who had just enough time to get beyond midcourt before taking a desperation three that fell short of the rim as time expired.
Arcadia will play its final home game of the regular season Tuesday, hosting a 6 p.m. Commonwealth Conference game against Messiah.
