The Lancaster Bible College women's basketball team returned to North Eastern Athletic Conference play in a big way on Sunday as the Chargers defeated Bryn Athyn, 73-70 in Bryn Athyn, Pa. Both teams entered the game with identical 4-0 NEAC records and after Sunday's win, the Chargers now own sole possession of first place in the NEAC South Division. Lancaster Bible owns a 6-4 overall record and a 5-0 mark in conference play, while the Lions are now 7-2 overall and 4-1 in NEAC action.

How it Happened: Bryn Athyn roared out to a 12-6 lead just over six minutes into the game, but Lancaster Bible closed the quarter on a 14-3 run and took a 20-15 lead after 10 minutes of play. During the late-quarter scoring run, five different players had points for the Chargers, including Naomi Otis who drained her first 3-pointer of the season. 

Emily Morgan extended Lancaster Bible's lead to 24-17 on back-to-back free throws 1:16 into the second quarter, but they would be the last points for the Chargers for 4:24 as the Lions rattled off a 15-0 run and took a 32-24 advantage midway through the second quarter. Bryn Athyn hit six buckets during the scoring run, including two straight 3-pointers to cap the 15-0 run.

After trailing by seven at halftime, 40-33, the Chargers saw their deficit grow to 10 at 45-35, just 1:44 into the third quarter. Lancaster Bible's defense took a stand however and the offense woke back up and the Chargers used a 12-0 run to take a 47-45 lead with 3:58 remaining in the third. Courtney Goyak converted two layups during the run, while Krissy Pennell and Otis knocked down 3-pointers. The Chargers maintained their lead through three quarters and led, 53-52 heading to the fourth.

An 8-0 run by the Lions over the first 3:16 gave Bryn Athyn a 60-53 lead with just under seven minutes remaining. The Chargers were undeterred again and used a 10-3 run over the next three minutes to tie the game at 63-63. Pennell had one of her seven steals and converted a fastbreak layup to cap the run as the Chargers tied it with 3:51 to play.

Pennell had another steal just seconds later, was fouled and gave the Chargers a 65-63 lead after her two free throws. Leading by three with under 30 seconds to go, Bryn Athyn tied the game at 69-69 on a 3-pointer from Samantha Hicks with eight seconds to play. After a timeout by Lancaster Bible, Pennell got open in the corner and knocked down a huge 3-pointer to give the Chargers a lead they wouldn't relinquish and sole possession of first place in the NEAC South Division.

By the Numbers: Lancaster Bible shot 39.1 percent (27-of-69) from the field, including 6-of-18 from beyond the arc...Bryn Athyn shot 40.9 percent from the floor and 11-of-19 (57.1 percent) from 3-point range...Goyak was dominant again, as she had 20 points and 25 rebounds, including 18 on the defensive glass...Pennell finished with 18 points, seven assists, seven steals and five rebounds...Morgan had 13 points, while fellow freshman Caitlin Hickey had eight points...Otis finished with six points and three boards, while Kaylee Boger had four points, four rebounds and three assists...Sarah Bell added four points and three boards...Hicks had 19 points to lead Bryn Athyn.

The Coach Says: "It was a very back-and-forth game," Lancaster Bible Head Coach Katelyn Vanderhoff said. "Bryn Athyn came out ready to go, especially in the second quarter, and took advantage of our mistakes. In the second half, I thought we settled in and started to get into our offensive flow. Courtney played very well in the second half and was able to control the paint. Krissy came up huge with a big shot from the corner to give us the lead and we were able to get the win. It definitely wasn't the prettiest of games, but we did enough to win."

Information Hodge Podge: Lancaster Bible is now 5-0 all-time against Bryn Athyn...The Chargers outscored the Lions, 34-22 in the paint, while both teams had 23 points off of turnovers...This is the fourth straight season Lancaster Bible has started 5-0 in NEAC play...Sunday marked the third time this season Goyak has had at least 20 points and 20 rebounds in a single game...The feat had been done just one time in program history prior to this season.

Up Next: Lancaster Bible hosts Penn College on Tuesday at 5 p.m...The Chargers defeated the Wildcats, 75-66 on November 30 in Williamsport, Pa.