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Messiah Nabs Early Advantage, Holds Off McDaniel 76-62
Freshman Jordan Seiz was one of four players to score in double-figures Saturday, adding 13 to the cause.

Grantham, PA — For a team sporting eight freshmen on a 12-athlete roster, Messiah certainly provided the look of a veteran club Saturday afternoon at Brubaker Auditorium.

After knocking in 12 of 25 first-period shots to eke out to a 35-30 halftime lead over McDaniel College, the Falcons effectively paced that lead in the final 20 minutes, keeping the Green Terror at bay en route to a 76-62 win.

“This was a really good experience for us in a lot of ways,” said Mike Miller, Messiah head coach. “It’s the first time this year we had to maintain a lead late in a game. I was pleased with how we played, especially down the stretch. This is a good step for us as a whole.”

Facing the Green Terror in the finale of the Messiah/Wingate Hotel Invitational, Messiah (3-0) rode a balanced attack on the offensive end, as four players notched double-digit scoring — the second time this season such equity has occurred.

Senior Julie Henninger paced the Falcons’ first-half attack with 10 points, though junior Michele Schleich and freshman Jordan Seiz were not far behind: Schleich tacked on eight points off three of six shooting from the field, while Seiz made three out of five buckets, scoring eight points while grabbing three boards as well.

Six straight free throws from Henninger turned a 30-28 McDaniel lead into a 33-30 Messiah advantage with just over a minute to play in the opening half, while a layup from freshman Kira Maier provided the halftime difference.

McDaniel (0-2) would tie the game for the seventh time just three minutes into the second half, but Miller’s team would respond: Back-to-back layups from freshman Dori Gyori pulled the Falcons’ back ahead by a 43-39 difference, a lead the team would not surrender over the game’s final 16 minutes.

The Green Terror pulled within a point (45-44) at the 14:37 mark, but Seiz’s first collegiate long ball came at an opportune moment, restoring the Messiah lead to 48-44.

Perhaps’ the hosts most impressive surge came after McDaniel cut the lead back down to four points — 55-51 with 8:10 to go — as Messiah went on an 11-1 run, blowing up a comfortable, 66-52 cushion with exactly five minutes remaining.

That push started after a Miller-called timeout, as freshman Nicky Hess knocked down a jumper on Messiah’s ensuing possession. Henninger sustained the surge by making three more charity on the Falcons next two trips, while a jumper from freshman Kira Maier was complemented by an interior bucket from Schleich. When Maier was fouled on a three-point attempt — she made two — Messiah had a 14-point advantage.

The Falcons held McDaniel to just a free throw during the stretch, forcing a pair of turnovers and a pair of misses while going 3-3 from the field and 5-7 from the free throw line on their end of the floor.

“Defense was again a big key for us,” Miller said. “The players made some halftime adjustments that stopped (McDaniel’s) transition game. We had our best execution after that timeout and executed flawlessly for the remainder of the game. I was very pleased with how we finished.”

McDaniel would only get within nine points on one occasion over the game’s final four and a half minutes, eventually falling behind by a 17-point margin with 18 seconds to play.

The Green Terror’s Katelyn Fischer drained a three-pointer just before the final buzzer, however, resulting in the 76-62 final.

Henninger again paced the Falcons’ effort, scoring 21 points off a 13-14 effort from the free throw line. Schleich finished with 14 points, whle Seitz added 13 and Maier 11.

Gyori grabbed eight rebounds while Hess and Maier each secured seven, helping Messiah to a 41-27 advantage overall on the glass.

After averaging 19.5 points per game over the two-day invitational, Henninger was unanimously chosen as the tournament’s most outstanding player. Hess and Schleich joined her with all-tournament team honors. McDaniel’s Ali Morleland, Washington University’s Julie Sherwood and York College’s April Sparkman rounded off the all-tournament team.

In Saturday’s early game, York knocked off Washington by a 77-73 score in overtime. Four Washington players fouled out in that contest, leaving the Shorewomen with just four available players at the game’s conclusion.

“We got experience playing with a lead down the stretch and did a good job today,” Miller said. “I think it’s important for a team to learn how to win late. Julie completed a remarkable first week of the season for us. She’s been a real leader being our only senior. We’ll take some time off and then get back to practicing for a good length of time before our next game, and that’s a luxury for us right now.”

Messiah will remain idle past the Thanksgiving holiday, opening up Commonwealth Conference play next Wednesday. The Falcons will host Albright College in a men-women double-header at Brubaker Auditorium. Game time for the women’s tilt is set for 6 p.m.