GRANTHAM, PA. – The No. 9 Messiah women's basketball team passed their first test of the NCAA Tournament with a 47-43 victory over the visiting Bridgewater State Bears on Friday night. The Falcons held a six-point, 23-17 lead at the break after a low-scoring opening half and held off an aggressive Bears team late for the four-point victory.
 
With their First-Round victory, Messiah advances to play No. 7 New York University on Saturday night in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament on Jordan Court in Hitchcock Arena at 7:00 p.m. The NYU Violets earned a 71-54 victory over the Greensboro Pride earlier in the evening.
 
Megan Zimmerman led the Falcons on the night with 15 points while Morgan Adams put together a solid 10-point, 17-rebound double-double as the Falcons improved to 26-2 on the season.
 
How It Happened
The Falcons were able to impose their style of play against the Bears in the first quarter of action as the two teams combined for just 20 after 10 minutes of play. The Falcons held the early lead at 13-7. Messiah jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead in the first three minutes with Morgan Adams, Reese Harden, and Megan Zimmerman all finding the bottom of the cup. The rest of the period saw the two sides trade buckets, but back-to-back scores from the Falcons gave Messiah a six-point lead.
 
The Bears quickly pulled within one after a layup and a three pointer in the first minute of the second quarter. After seeing their lead cut to 13-12, Messiah answered with a 10-1 run fueled by six Megan Zimmerman points. The Falcons built their largest lead of the first half, 23-13, after a pair of free throws from Zimmerman with 1:52 left before the break. While the Bears connected on a pair of layups in the final minute-plus of the second quarter, Messiah held a 23-17 edge at the break.
 
Holding a 25-21 lead three minutes into the second half, Messiah went on an 11-3 run that created a little separation at 36-24. Amber High had a pair of big buckets during the run, hitting a log two from the top of the key and burying a corner three off an assist from Reese Harden.
 
However, just the second quarter, the Bears would not go quietly. Six-straight points closed out the quarter and Messiah's lead was trimmed back down to six at 36-30 with 10 minutes remaining.
 
A slow start to the fourth quarter for both teams saw only a pair of Megan Zimmerman layups get put on the board in the first five minutes of the final period. With the Falcons leading by eight with 2:41 to play at 42-34, Reese Harden delivered a massive three-pointer that created a little breathing room for Messiah. The Harden triple bumped Messiah's lead back to double-digits at 45-34.
 
After the big bucket, the Bears turned up the pressure and closed the game on a 9-2 run that included a banked-in three in the final seconds by Kylie Grassi. The late burst was not enough as the Falcons held on for the 47-43 victory to advance to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.
 
What's Up Next
As mentioned, the Falcons will face No. 7 New York University tomorrow evening at 7:00 p.m. on Jordan Court in Hitchcock Arena. The Violets earned their spot in Saturday's Second Round with a 71-54 victory over Greensboro earlier on Friday night.