The Lancaster Bible College women's basketball team won its third straight game on Saturday, overcoming a slow start and hard-working Gallaudet team, to down the Bison, 61-54 in Washington, D.C. The victory propels the Chargers to 14-5 overall and 13-1 in North Eastern Athletic Conference action, while the Bison fell to 2-18, 2-14 NEAC.

How it Happened: The Chargers trailed by five just over a minute into the contest, but slowly began to wake up as four different players scored a bucket over the next 1:17 to give Lancaster Bible an 8-7 lead. The teams went back-and-forth for a few minutes and the Bison knotted the game at 12-12 on a free throw from Kelli Barnes with 4:31 left in the opening quarter. 

The game stayed tied at 12 for over two minutes, but the final two minutes helped to shape the game in the Chargers' favor. Senior Krissy Pennell gave Lancaster Bible a 14-12 lead with 1:59 to play on a layup and freshman Caitlin Hickey equaled the feat just 20 seconds later after she stole the ball and went coast-to-coast for the score. Hickey drained a 3-pointer on Lancaster Bible's next possession and did it again on the Chargers' final possession with two seconds remaining. Hickey owned the last two minutes, scoring eight points, adding a steal, and giving the Chargers a 22-12 lead after 10 minutes.

For all of Hickey's heroics in the final minutes of the first quarter, the Chargers let the momentum go by the wayside in the second quarter as Lancaster Bible scored just two points in the first 8:38 of the second quarter. Gallaudet took advantage of the slumbering Lancaster Bible offense and took a 26-24 lead with 1:34 remaining on a jumper from Lawjen Ashmore. Lancaster Bible was able to regain its lead and took a slim 30-28 advantage into halftime.

The game stayed close in the third quarter, but Lancaster Bible was finally able to open up a lead midway through the quarter as the Chargers used a brief 6-0 run to expand a 39-34 lead into a 45-34 advantage with 3:21 left. Lancaster Bible maintained a similar lead the rest of the third quarter and led 46-37 after 30 minutes of play.

Lancaster Bible was able to fend off any attack Gallaudet made in the fourth quarter as the Bison cut the Chargers' lead to seven with just over three minutes to play and got to within five, 59-54, with 10 seconds remaining, but Pennell sank two free throws with a second remaining to seal the game.

By the Numbers: Lancaster Bible shot 35.6 percent (21-of-59) from the floor, including just 4-of-16 from 3-point range...Gallaudet didn't fare much better as the Bison shot just 33.3 percent (24-of-72) and was 0-for-2 from beyond the arc...Hickey led the Chargers with 15 points, six rebounds, three blocks and two steals...Sophomore Courtney Goyak had 11 points and 21 rebounds, while Pennell added 14 points, eight assists and four steals...Junior Kirsten Webster had seven points and three rebounds...Freshman Kaylee Boger added eight points and freshman Emily Morgan had six points and three boards...Kelsey Hudson had 16 points to lead the Bison.

The Coach Says: "We know Gallaudet is a team that works hard and is relentless on the boards and they came out ready and we came out flat," Lancaster Bible Head Coach Katelyn Vanderhoff said. "We did enough to win the game, but didn't play the way we wanted to. We are going to have to clean up our rebounding and turnovers going into Sunday's game at Wilson."

Information Hodge Podge: Lancaster Bible improved to 12-0 all-time against Gallaudet...The Chargers defeated Gallaudet, 82-59 at Horst Athletic Center on Dec. 2, 2016...Lancaster Bible is outscoring its opponents by 116 points in the first half of games this season, but is -1 (317-316) in the third quarter...The Chargers' 35.6 shooting percentage on Saturday is the lowest the team has posted in a victory this season.

Up Next: Lancaster Bible travels to Chambersburg, Pa. on Sunday to face Wilson at 12 p.m...The Chargers defeated the Phoenix, 89-59, on Dec. 3, 2016.