Hood Women Improve to 2-0 in Commonwealth With 57-50 Win at Lycoming

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WILLIAMSPORT, Pa.--The Hood College women's basketball team (3-2, 2-0 Commonwealth) upped its Commonwealth Conference record to 2-0 with a 57-50 come-from-behind win over the Lycoming College Warriors (0-5, 0-2 Commonwealth) Saturday afternoon.

Dyanna Prater paced the Blazers with her fifth career double-double, scoring a game-high 19 points to go along with a team-high 10 rebounds. Rachel Kessler added a career-high 13 points and six boards while Emily Maerz finished with eight points and matched her career-high with four assists.

Hood used a 19-4 run over a span of 7:56 in the second half to change the entire complexion of the game. The Blazers transformed a six-point deficit with 8:38 to play into a nine-point lead with less than a minute to go in regulation. During that stretch, the Blazers held the Warriors to just one field goal and a pair of free throws. Lycoming hit a couple of late baskets and got to within five, but it was too little too late as Kessler put the icing on the cake with a pair of free throws in the closing seconds.

Lycoming led by as many as seven in the first half (15-8, 11:51) but Hood fought back to take a 19-18 lead on a layup by Kessler with a little less than four minutes to go in the stanza. Chelsea Henderson connected on back-to-back layups in the final minute to give Lycoming a slim 23-21 halftime edge.

A three-pointer by Janelle Ziminski at the 8:38 mark put the Warriors on top 41-35, but from there it was all Hood as the Blazers began to mount their impressive comeback.

Hood won the battle of the boards, 55-45, including 21 on the offensive glass. Ziminski was Lycoming's only starter in double figures as the Warriors' other four players in the starting lineup combined to shoot 3-of-19 from the field for just 10 points.

Hood's Rachel Wiley was held to four points but contributed a season-high nine rebounds and picked off four steals, a new career-high. In addition, Sarah Marcello came off the bench to grab six rebounds, a season-high for her.

Hood returns home Wednesday to host Commonwealth Conference foe Messiah College at 6 p.m. at BB&T Arena.