Reading, Pa. (Feb. 8, 2023) - After trailing Alvernia University (14-9, 9-5) for nearly three quarters, #15 Messiah University (20-2, 13-0)  used a 22-5 run that spanned the third and fourth quarter to take a 59-49 win over the Golden Wolves on Wednesday night in MAC Commonwealth women's basketball action at Alvernia.

The Golden Wolves led by one at the half and led by one with 3:18 to play in the third until the Falcons began their 22-5 run. Messiah pushed the pace and led by 16, 53-47, with 5:36 to play. Alvernia threatened in the final ten minutes, but could not get closer than eight points as the Falcons locked up the 59-49 win.

Despite the loss, Alvernia clinched a spot in the MAC Commonwealth playoffs after Stevenson also dropped a contest to York this evening. It is Alvernia's first appearance in a traditional style MAC postseason since Alvernia made it as the #4 seed in the 2010-11 season. Alvernia did appear in the last season's MAC Commonwealth tournament as the #8 seed with the COVID expansion format of all conference teams making the postseason.

Alvernia forced a on Messiah's first possession of the game and the Golden Wolves capitalized with a putback layup by Cathryn Kramer. Alvernia doubled-up on its lead a minute later with Kayla Williams hitting a putback layup to give Alvernia the 4-0 lead.

After Messiah got on the board with a pair of free throws, the Golden Wolves answered with another layup from Williams. Messiah got within one, 6-5, on a 3-point play following a Morgan Adams made layup.

Both teams went scoreless for the next two minutes until Williams hit a layup off a steal to make it an 8-5 game in favor of the Golden Wolves. Messiah then held Alvernia to just two points over the final 4:15 of the quarter while tacking on five of their own to make it a 10-10 game going into the second frame.

Jordan Karmonick opened the second quarter with a 3-pointer off the steal of Taliyah Malone to make it 13-10, but the Falcons got right back within one on a Megan Zimmerman jumper. 

A back-to-back field goal and 3-pointer from Williams gave Alvernia its largest lead of the night, 18-12, with 7:13 to play in the opening half.

The Falcons held Alvernia scoreless for the next five and a half minutes, but Messiah only put up four as the Golden Wolves continued to hold the lead, 18-16. A 3-pointer from Tyra Robinson put an end to Alvernia's scoreless drought and made it a five point game in favor of the Golden Wolves, 21-16, with 1:35 to play in the quarter. Messiah scored the final four points of the half to make it a 21-20 game in favor of Alvernia going into the second half.

Much like the start of the first half, Alvernia started the second half with a Kramer layup off a Messiah turnover to give Alvernia the three point lead, 23-20. But, the Falcons evened it up at 23-23 on a layup and and-one free throw on their next possession. 

Alvernia retook the lead on a Williams layup, and the Golden Wolves and Falcons would tie it up or trade the lead seven more times until Williams hit a three to make it a 32-31 game in favor of Alvernia with 3:18 to play in the quarter. 

A layup from Messiah's Reese Harden on the next Falcon possession sparked the 22-5 Messiah run that would span the next eight minutes into the fourth quarter. A Morgan Adam jumper with 5:36 to play ended the run and gave Messiah a 53-37 lead.

The Golden Wolves got five back on a 3-pointer from Karmonick and a pair of free throws from Tamia Wessels, but the Falcons pushed it back to a 13 point lead on a Zimmerman layup. 

Alvernia got within eight, 55-47, on a layup and another 3-pointer from Karmonick with 54 seconds to play, but it would be too little too late as the Falcons came away with the 59-49 win.

The Falcons improved to 20-2 overall with the win and are a perfect 13-0 in MAC Commonwealth play.  

Williams led Alvernia with 16 points, five rebounds, and two steals. Karmonick finished with 13 points, five rebounds, and six steals.

Alvernia is back in action on Saturday hosting Lebanon Valley College in the regular season home finale. Alvernia needs to win its final two contests and have Albright lose one of its next two for Alvernia to be the #2 seed in the MAC Commonwealth tournament.