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Raiders Eke Out NCAA Overtime Thriller, Conclude Falcons' Season
Senior Julie Henninger scored a career-high 24 points in what would be her final game as a collegian.

Grantham, PA — As senior Julie Henninger walked into the post-game press conference room Saturday evening, her face told the story.

Eyes bloodshot from tears and lower lip quivering, Henninger sat down next to head coach Mike Miller for the bevy of reporters’ questions to follow.

As recording devices were placed on the table in front of them and the media took their respective seats, Miller leaned in close to his lone senior.

“Let’s finish strong,” he whispered.

It was an ideal that permeated through Henninger’s career, even if a win didn’t come to fruition on this night. Messiah had dropped an utterly heartbreaking, 62-61 overtime decision to Mount Union College just moments earlier, concluding the team’s season — and Henninger’s career — in NCAA Second Round play at Brubaker Auditorium.

“I have a perception that we played well tonight,” Miller said to open the interview. “I’ll leave that up to you guys to decide, but I was extremely proud of how we competed. We just didn’t outscore them.”

And with that, perhaps the most fitting explanation of how things transpired in Saturday’s nip-and-tuck tilt: After nine lead changes and seven ties — all occurring following halftime — Mount Union simply got the lead last.

Not that it made Henninger feel any better.

The Carlisle, Pa. native poured in a career-high 24 points while grabbing eight rebounds, nearly willing her team to what would have been the fifth ‘Sweet 16’ appearance in program history.

It was just not to be.

Mount Union (26-4) made enough plays to stave off a spirited effort from Miller’s club, advancing to next Friday’s Sectional Round for the fourth time in school history.

“Messiah is a great program, and they have a bright future ahead of them,” said Suzy Venet, Mount Union head coach. “We were fortunate to get out of here with a win tonight.”

It seemed like the Purple Raiders’ would need more than good fortune to keep their season alive in the early goings of Saturday’s affair, as Messiah (24-5) made eight of its first 10 shots from the floor, storming out of the gate for an 18-3 lead.

But the momentum of the game changed on the Falcons’ next defensive trip, where freshman Nicky Hess was whistled for her second personal foul with 12:57 left in the period.

With Messiah’s primary ball handler resigned to the bench, Mount Union slowly began chipping away at the deficit, applying their trademark full-court press — complete with platoon substitutions — coming in waves at Miller’s ballhandlers.

And while the Falcons would keep the Purple Raiders to just four of 23 shooting from the floor in the first period (17.3 percent), Messiah’s 12 first-half turnovers and 19 first-period fouls provided a lifeline for Mount Union, as the guests connected on 12 of 14 free throws to pull within a 28-23 deficit at the break.

“Even though we were up five at halftime, it felt like we lost something,” Miller said. “Our energy went down when Nicky went out. We talked before the game, ‘if they can’t score, they can’t press.’ They got a couple baskets after we got our (18-point) lead, and that helped them set up some things defensively.”

With the game now within both teams’ reach, the second period would not be enough to decide things. A three-pointer from Purple Raiders’ senior Tessa Pohovey gave Mount Union their first lead of the night (31-30 with 12:47 to play), but a driving layup from Henninger put Messiah back up on its next trip.

The enormity of each possession could not be overstated from that point on, as neither team led by more than four points over the game’s next 10 minutes. It wasn’t until Hess buried a baseline floater with 2:46 remaining that Messiah garnered its last five-point lead, taking a 48-43 advantage.

Mount Union answered with a clutch post basket on its next possession and, following a missed layup from freshman Dori Gyori, may have received the second game-changing call on its next offensive trip: As Pohovey drove to the basket with 1:42 to go, Gyori slid over to provide help.

She was whistled for a blocking foul.

It was her fifth personal.

Pohovey would make just one of the following two free throws, pulling Mount Union within a 48-46 difference, but Messiah’s biggest post presence was now gone.

Venet said that had much to do with the Purple Raiders’ play calling down the stretch.

“I wouldn’t say we changed everything (after Gyori fouled out), but we definitely ran some plays to get the ball to the hoop,” Venet said. “We just kept trying to plug away, both offensively and defensively.”

Gyori’s replacement — classmate Kira Maier — entered and was fouled on a spinning drive on the Falcons’ next possession, canning one of her two ensuing free throws to make it a 49-46 lead with 1:14 to go in regulation. Mount Union freshman guard Rosa LaMattina then hit a tough runner on the Purple Raiders’ next trip, and the visitors’ full-court pressure then bit Messiah on the inbounds pass: Mount Union’s Kori Wiedt came up with a steal with 52 seconds on the clock, feeding the ball to teammate Amanda Rose for an uncontested layup.

Miller called timeout, now trailing by a 50-49 score.

Messiah’s subsequent play was a thing of beauty.

Freshman Julia Groves hit junior Michele Schleich cutting to the basket, and the 6-0 forward converted a nifty power move with 36 seconds to play — putting the Falcons back ahead by a 51-50 score.

That basket apparently wasn’t deterring to LaMattina, however, as the lightning quick guard got to the rim following a Mount Union timeout, putting the visitors back on top 52-51 with a right-handed layup with 21 ticks to play.

Following another timeout from Miller, Messiah came out with another gorgeous offensive set.

As Hess prepped to inbound the ball under Mount Union’s basket, Henninger faked and went deep against the pressuring Raiders’ defense, corralling a perfectly-thrown baseball pass from Hess — and dribbling unabated toward the Falcons’ basket.

Mount Union’s Rose somehow caught up to Henninger at the last moment, fouling the Falcons’ senior hard as she went up for the attempt.

With 17 seconds to play, Henninger had two free throws.

She buried her first, tying the game at 52, but her second was long, giving Mount Union the final look at a game-winner in regulation. LaMattina wiggled free for another baseline runner with three seconds remaining, but her shot was off the mark.

With a disqualified Gyori on the bench, Messiah and Mount Union were headed to overtime.

In retrospect, Messiah’s leading rebounder was greatly missed, as the Purple Raiders attacked the basket with recurring ferocity. A driving layup from Mount Union’s Lauren Forquer opened the extra stanza, but a one-dribble pull-up from Groves tied the game for the fourth time just moments later.

Again, the teams traded baskets. A layup from Maier was answered by a driving hoop on Mount Union’s end, while a baseline bucket from Groves was equaled by another post basket from the Raiders’ Forquer.

With 1:05 to play and the score tied 58-58, Henninger again drew a foul and got to the line.

Again, she made one of two.

LaMattina drove down the lane and was fouled by Hess on Mount Union’s next trip, making both of her freebies to put the visitors up by a 60-59 score with 47 seconds left.

Messiah then had several good looks on their following possession, but couldn’t convert: A jumper from Groves caromed into the hands of Henninger, and the scrappy senior saw her putback effort roll around the rim and out.

LaMattina secured that rebound, and was fouled with 15.1 seconds remaining.

Miller called a timeout, but LaMattina wasn’t iced. She calmly sunk both free throws, putting the Purple Raiders up by a 62-59 score.

Messiah’s final possession of the 2009-2010 campaign will be remembered, perhaps, for its oddity. As Mount Union again applied full-court pressure, the Falcons needed about six seconds to advance the ball into the frontcourt.

As the clock wound under 10 seconds, Maier drove to the basket from the top of the key, missing a pull-up in the lane. She got her own rebound but missed the initial putback, and Henninger snared the loose ball.

Henninger scored a layup nanoseconds before the final buzzer sounded, but it wasn’t enough mathematically: Trailing by three, the Falcons’ two-point basket was moot.

“We just didn’t execute,” Miller said of the final series. “I’ll leave it at that.”

LaMattina finished with 18 points to lead Mount Union — 10 of which came in the final minute of regulation plus overtime. Henninger’s 24 was supplemented by 10 from both Hess and Schleich, while Gyori added seven points and 10 rebounds, all in just 29 foul-plagued minutes.

“I think, after (Gyori) fouled out, we got easier shots than they did,” Venet said. “When you’re at 40-plus minutes and you’re a little tired, the shots closer to the basket are easier to make than the ones far away.”

Miller agreed, though he wouldn’t use his team’s incredible youth — nine first-year players on a 13-athlete roster — as a crutch.

“Yeah, we’re young, but we said from day one that we’re not going to use that as an excuse,” he said. “One of my pet peeves is when coaches do that, because you’ll never hear coaches say they won a game because they have six seniors.

“But Julie,” he paused, “she’s our only senior, and she played like a grad student tonight.”

As Henninger forced a smile upon hearing that, she most likely was unaware of her career numbers in a Messiah uniform: A 103-16 overall record, four straight NCAA Tournament berths and a national championship game appearance as a sophomore.

Given the Falcons’ youth, it’s likely that few thought this team would win at least 22 games for the 11th straight season in program history.

Henninger included.

“At the start of this year, I kind of looked at this as a challenge, having so many freshmen on this team and me being the only senior,” she said. “I didn’t know what to expect. But as the season went on, I realized it was more of a blessing. It’s been a privilege to have played basketball with all the girls I played with here. This hurts, but I think we put forth an awesome effort tonight. I’ll remember that more than anything else.”