Team Captures Wingate Hotel Invite Behind Another Defensive Gem
Senior Katie Kabl earned tournament MVP honors, averaging 16 points per game on 11 of 22 shooting overall.

Grantham, PA — As if holding Eastern University to eight second-half points in Friday night’s tournament first round wasn’t staunch enough, the Messiah women’s basketball team imposed its will against Ursinus College Saturday, holding the Bears to just 28.3 percent shooting in a 61-34 Messiah College/Wingate Hotel Invitational Championship decision.

Messiah — ranked 13th in the pres-season USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Coaches Poll and 14th in the D3hoops.com Top 25 ballot — held a 29-19 lead at the half before exploding to a 32-15 difference in the latter 20 minutes, holding Ursinus to just five second-half field goals for the Falcons’ second win in as many days.

“Our play today was similar to how we went about things (Friday) night,” said Mike Miller, Messiah head coach. “I thought we again started the first half a little bit slow, and as a result we couldn’t get stops. When we make defensive mistakes early, our opponents make shots because they’re keyed up. Again today, we got smarter as the game went on.”

Senior Christa Wenrich opened Saturday’s championship game with a three pointer, part of a 10-2 Falcons’ run to start the game. Messiah (3-0) would never trail in the contest, but Ursinus (1-1) remained close thanks to some difficult shots early. A long three-ball from the Bears’ Jaclyn Hilf made it only a 21-15 Messiah lead with 4:02 to play in the period, though a trey from senior Katie Kalb pushed it back to a 24-15 margin on the ensuing possession.

The Falcons held a 27-15 lead with just 1:37 to play, but another jumper from Hilf and a layup by Ursinus’ center Carolyn Konstanzer pulled the visitors to within a 27-19 difference with just over a minute remaining. A jumper from senior Ashley Brooks would provide the halftime margin, as Messiah converted on 10 of 24 first-half shots (41.7 percent).

Ursinus would keep things from getting out of hand early in the second half, but a 22-4 Falcons’ run over a nine-minute period turned a 35-26 score at the 13:08 mark into a 57-30 margin with four minutes to go. Five different Falcons scored during that run, while Ursinus missed six of seven shots and committed eight of its 32 turnovers.

Kalb and Brooks paced Messiah’s scoring efforts, each charting 15 points. Brooks finished with a team-leading six rebounds, while Wenrich knocked in 11 points. The Falcons kept an opponent from posting a double-figure scorer for the first time this season (Ursinus’ Konstanzer led her team with nine points), while the Bears’ 28.3 percent shooting clip equaled a season-best defensive mark for Messiah (Eastern also connected on just 28.3 percent of its total shots Friday against the Falcons).

Kalb was awarded tournament most valuable player honors. Brooks joined her on the all-tournament team. Ursinus was represented by Konstanzer and Julie Brown, while Eastern’s Lizzie Wilson and Grove City College’s Christine Slater rounded off the award winners.

Eastern defeated Grove City by a 63-56 score in Saturday’s consolation game.

“I’m happy with the way we defended this weekend, more than anything,” Miller said. “Regardless of what people might think, defense has always been our staple. You have to hang your hat on something when things get ugly.”

Messiah will return to action Tuesday, when the team travels to Johns Hopkins University. Game time is set for 6 p.m.