GRANTHAM, Pa. – Senior Kelecia Harris scored 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds, but No. 15 Albright suffered its first conference loss of the season as Messiah downed the Lions 59-49 on Saturday in Brubaker Auditorium.
Messiah, which improved to 10-4 overall and 4-1 in the MAC Commonwealth, controlled the game from the outset and never trailed in the contest.
The Falcons limited Albright to just 28.3 percent shooting from the floor, which marked the Lions second-lowest percentage of the season. Albright also committed 22 turnovers and made just 1-of-15 three-point attempts.
Kaitlyn Hoff tied her career high with 22 points to lead Messiah, while Gillian Glackin added 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Falcons.
Albright, which dropped to 12-2 overall and 4-1 in conference play, also received 10 points from Alysha Lofton and nine points each from Devan Horka and Nina Mazzarelli.
After Mazzarelli tied the game at 4-4 with a pair of free throws, Messiah took the lead for good when Glackin hit two free throws with 8:13 to play in the opening quarter.
Messiah took a 19-11 lead when Glackin rebounded a missed three-point attempt and converted a layup with 2:14 to play in the first quarter.
Glackin extended the lead to 21-11 at the 9:49 mark of the second quarter when she scored inside.
The Lions still trailed by 10 points late in the second quarter before Jane Joyce made a free throw and Horka scored a layup to cut the lead to 27-20 with 3:07 to play before halftime.
But Messiah closed the half on a 7-0 run, which included three-point baskets by Hannah Brown and Hoff, to take a 34-20 lead at the break.
A pair of free throws by Hoff upped the Messiah lead to 40-22 with 7:19 to play in the third quarter, but the Lions would mount a comeback.
A free throw by Harris and back-to-back baskets by Harris and Lofton brought the Lions to within 40-27 with 4:25 to play in the third.
Messiah responded and upped the lead to 46-29 when Maci Thornton drilled a three-pointer at the 2:07 mark of the third quarter.
Messiah took its largest lead of the game early in the fourth quarter when Hoff made two free throws to push the lead to 55-35 with 7:26 left in the game.
Albright would fight back into the game with a late rally.
The Lions used an 8-0 run, which was highlighted by four points from Harris, to cut the Messiah lead to 55-43 with 3:53 to play in the game.
Glackin ended the run with a free throw, but Horka scored inside to bring Albright to within 56-45 with 3:20 to play.
Hoff made one of two free throws to push the lead to 57-45, but Lofton converted a layup to trim the lead to 57-47 with 45 seconds to play.
Harris added a layup with eight seconds to play, but Fairbanks added a basket for the Falcons to seal the victory.
Albright will return to the Bollman Center on Wednesday (Jan. 13) as it hosts Lycoming at 6 p.m. in a MAC Commonwealth game.