Moravian Outlasts Local Rival

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The Moravian women's basketball team earned a 95-90 double-overtime victory over rival Muhlenberg College in Johnston Hall to head to the semester break with a four-game winning streak.

Moravian scored the first basket of the game on a lay-up by sophomore forward Alyssa Bisci. Then the Mules ran off seven straight points for a 7-2 lead, the first of eight five-point leads for Muhlenberg during the first half. The Mules led 23-18 on a lay-up by sophomore forward Alexis Bates with 8:23 remaining before halftime when the Greyhounds put together an 8-2 run capped by a jumper from sophomore guard Jessica Foran to take a 26-25 lead, Moravian's first since Bisci's opening basket.

The Greyhounds finished the first half by extending the run to 24-11 for a 40-34 lead at the break. Both teams shot the ball well during the first 20 minutes with Moravian making 13 of 32 field goal attempts (40.6 percent), one of five three-pointers and 13 of 17 free throws and Muhlenberg connecting on 14 of 34 field goals (41.2 percent), two of six three-pointers and all four of its free throws. The Greyhounds had a 24-18 advantage in rebounds in the first half.

Moravian scored the first points of the second half on a pair of Bisci free throws for an eight-point lead, 42-34. The Greyhounds led 44-36 after a pair of free throws by sophomore forward Kirsty Stearns before Muhlenberg went on a 10-2 run to tie the game at 46-46 on a lay-up by junior guard/forward Lauren Boyle. Mule sophomore guard Kaitlyn O'Malley made the next basket to give Muhlenberg a 48-46 lead. Moravian would tie the game at 48-48 before the Mules pulled away 56-50 on a three-pointer by senior guard Abra Like. Muhlenberg would have its largest lead of the game, seven points, after three-pointer by senior guard/forward Amanda Feldman gave the Mules a 63-56 advantage with 7:28 to play. Trailing by six points after a basket by Boyle with 5:28 play, Moravian sophomore guard Amada Brown connected on back-to-back three-pointers to tie the contest at 65-65 with 3:56 left in regulation. Both teams then went cold from the field with the next points coming on a Boyle lay-up with 19 seconds remaining. Brown retied the game with 13 seconds remaining on a jumper that forced overtime at 67-67.

In the second half, Moravian struggled shooting the ball from the field, making just seven of 25 field goals (28 percent) and three of five three-pointers; however, The Greyhounds were 10 of 11 at the foul line to keep themselves in the contest. Muhlenberg continued to shoot the ball well, making 14 of 32 field goal attempts and three of eight three-pointers, but the Mules only made it to the foul line four times, making two.

When the first overtime started, the Greyhounds jumped out to a five-point lead, 72-67, with 2:52 to play, and Moravian had a five-point edge, 74-69, with 1:51 on the clock. However, the Mules fought back and tied the contest at 77-77 with just over two seconds remaining on a lay-up by freshman forward Sheila Cook.

Muhlenberg jumped out to the quick lead at the start of the second overtime, taking an 81-78 lead on a lay-up by sophomore forward Maiza Mock with four minutes to play. Moravian fought back and took the lead for good on a lay-up from freshman guard/forward Emily Smith with 3:10 left on the clock. The shot was one of just three field goals the Greyhounds made in the second overtime as the squad scored its other 11 points at the foul line. Freshman guard Kelly McKeon connected on a three-pointer with 59 seconds left to pull within a point at 87-86 before Moravian made eight of ten free throws in the final 58 seconds including four by Bisci.

The Greyhounds were five of ten from the field, one-for-one on three-pointers and 17 of 22 at the foul line in the two overtime periods while the Mules made eight of 21 field goals, one of seven three-pointers and six of eight free throws in the extra ten minutes. The foul line is where Moravian won the game as the Greyhounds were 40 of 50 at the charity stripe for the game while the Mules were just 12 of 16. Muhlenberg did finish the game with a 51-48 advantage in rebounds while both teams committed 21 turnovers.

Moravian had five players in double figures led by a game and career high 26 points by Brown, who was five-for-eight behind the three-point line. Brown also had three rebounds in the victory. Bisci had a career best 19 points, including 13-for-14 at the foul line, to go with three rebounds while Stearns had a double-double for Moravian with 16 points and ten rebounds along with three blocked shots and two assists. Stearns was a perfect ten-for-ten at the foul line in the victory for the Greyhounds. Smith had 11 points and six rebounds while shooting seven-for-eight at the foul line while sophomore guard Jessica Foran had ten points, all in the first half, and three assists in her first start since the season opener due to injury although Foran left the game early in the second half after being reinjured. Sophomore guard Kate Harrison added eight points, five rebounds and four assists in the Moravian win while sophomore forward Lauren Fornazor had five points, six rebounds and two steals off of the bench. Senior guard La'Toya Blake had five rebounds before fouling out of the game in the second half for Moravian.

McKeon led the Mules with 20 points, seven rebounds and four assists while Boyle had 19 points and four rebounds before fouling out of the contest early in the first overtime. Cook had a double-double for the Mules with 16 points and ten rebounds while O'Malley tossed in 13 points to go with four assists.