RICHMOND, Ind. - Trailing 25-18 after the first quarter, the Earlham College women's basketball team battled back to earn an 82-71 win over Mount St. Joseph in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) action at Schuckman Court on Saturday afternoon.
The Lions (4-11, 3-5 HCAC) come out firing, however, and hit six three-pointers in the first quarter. Brilyn Webb, who finished with 19 points, had 11 in the first quarter.
Mount St. Joseph continued to hold the lead in the early stages of the second quarter. A Maria Sams jumper gave MSJ a 31-26 advantage with 6:27 to play in the first half.
The Quakers (4-11, 2-6 HCAC) then clamped down on defense and eventually tied the game 31-31 on a three-pointer from Kasin Spay two minutes later. Earlham continues to pressure and forced four Lions turnovers en route to a 10-0 run and a 41-31 edge. MSJ would break its drought with a bucket just before halftime.
MSJ fought back in the third quarter as the Lions went on a 12-4 run to take a slim lead when Meredith Hartfield hit a jumper shot. Trailing 45-44, junior Lexi McFarland had the answer on the very next possession as the Memphis, Ind., native hit one of her five three-pointers.
Earlham then stretched its lead to six points on another Spay three-pointer. The Lions got back to within one (54-53), but the Quakers closed the third quarter on a 5-0 spirt and led 59-53 heading into the final period.
The Quakers took a 67-57 lead on a jumper from Mariah Flynn with 6:41 to play, but once again, MSJ was not done. The Lions clawed back to within three points (72-69), but a Bristyl Webb three-pointer that would have tied the contest was off the mark. Junior Hannah Franklin hit a layup on the next possession and after a turnover, McFarland hit a three-pointer putting the game out of reach.
Spay led all scorers with 26 points. The Muncie, Ind., native also grabbed eight rebounds, dished out five assists, and intercepted two passes for steals. McFarland added 17 points, a season high, while Flynn added 10 points. Junior Maya Luney finished with eight points and eight rebounds.
Along with Brilyn Webb, Hartfiel, Erica Walsh, and Bristyl Webb finished in double figures.
Both teams made 28 field goals and shot over 40 percent from the field. MSJ finished 9-23 from beyond the arc while Earlham was 10-19 from three-point land. The Quakers held a distinct edge in free throw shooting, finishing 16-20 from the charity stripe. The Lions shot 85.7 percent from the line, but got there just seven times.
Earlham also dished out 20 assists against just nine turnovers, tying a season low.
The victory marks the Quakers' sixth consecutive win over Mount St. Joseph. Earlham will bring its two-game winning streak into a Wednesday showdown at Rose-Hulman. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.