Grantham, PA - Messiah College moved to 7-0 in the Commonwealth Conference on Wednesday with a 79-47 win over Stevenson University. Dori Gyori led the Falcons with 19 points and 11 rebounds, as Messiah went up 36-21 at halftime en route to the lopsided victory.
 
The match-up between the Falcons and Mustangs was the first ever between the two programs, with Stevenson having just joined the Commonwealth Conference this season. The win moved Stevenson to 2-5 in the conference, with Messiah—ranked No. 7 in both the most recent D3Hoops.com Top 25 Poll and ESPN/USA Today Top 25 Coaches Poll— improving to a perfect 7-0.
 
The Falcons dominated throughout the game, though the score sat at 6-6 with 13:48 remaining in the first half. Messiah then went on a 10-0 run as they eventually doubled up Stevenson 30-15 in the remainder of the half. The Falcons shot 15-27 (55.6%) from the field in the first 20 minutes, executing well against the Mustangs' double-teams.
 
"We expected that they would double-team our ball handlers off of ballscreens, and they did right from the start," Messiah head coach Mike Miller said. "It took us a few minutes to get a feel for that pressure, but then we really started to get comfortable."
 
Up 36-21 at the half, Messiah continued to exploit the Mustangs with impressive team play. In total, the Falcons would collect an outstanding 24 assists on their 30 total made field goals—with more than a few buckets in the full- and half-court coming off of quick passing between all five players.
 
"We've always been a program that coaches team play," Miller said, commenting on the season-high assist total. "Once we really settled in, we did a great job of making the 'extra pass.' That really frees up our players to be confident in their shots and free mentally to knock shots down."
 
True to Miller's point, the Falcons seemed comfortable shooting the ball—especially in the second-half. Messiah made seven of 11 attempts from three-point range in the final 20 minutes, shooting just under 50% (15-31) from the field overall. The Falcons also shot 9-11 from the free-throw line in the game.
 
The impressive shooting numbers resulted in balanced scoring for Messiah, as three players scored double-figures. Dori Gyori led the Falcons with game-highs in both points (19) and rebounds (11), with Nicky Hess and Chelsea Danel adding 13 points and 12 points, respectively. Three other players also scored at least six points for Messiah.
 
Defensively, the Falcons also impressed. They forced 26 turnovers—four shy of their season-high—and outrebounded the Mustangs 35-21. Messiah also collected an incredible 19 steals, with Danel and Hess combining for 11 takeaways.
 
"(Stevenson) was a good team, and a quick team," Miller said, suggesting that the final score was not indicative of the Mustangs' defensive abilities. "We adjusted really well throughout the game, and our players did a great job of following our game plan."
 
The Mustangs were led in scoring by Kyarra Harmon, as she collected 11 points to go along with a team-high five rebounds.
 
The loss drops Stevenson to an even 5-5 on the season, with Messiah moving to 13-1.
 
The Falcons next play on Saturday, Jan. 12, when they travel to Arcadia University to take on the Knights at 1:00 p.m.