Centenary 69, Lancaster Bible College 61 OT
 
Centenary Starters
Escano, Bossert, Jacobs, Elsbree & McKenzie
 
LBC Starters
Alaysha Iwais, Adalyn Steiner, Lizzy Tilton, Jade Eshelman & Jenna Dombach
 
How It Happened
The Lancaster Bible College women's basketball team opened its 50^th season of play with a tough 69-60 overtime loss to the Centenary University on Thursday, November 11.
 
The Chargers got off to a slow start offensively, allowing Centenary to jump out to an early 6-2 lead behind point guard Victoria Jacobs who scored the team's first six points. LBC would trail by as many as nine points, before finishing the quarter on a 5-0 run, sparked by a 3-pointer by Mikayla Via and a layup by Emma Drouillard.
 
Lancaster Bible guard Lizzy Tilton kept the offense rolling to start the second quarter, knocking down an early jump shot. Jade Eshelman would connect on a free throw, giving LBC their first lead of the game, 18-17.  However, the Cyclones kept answering back, going on 7-0 run to retake a six-point lead. Alaysha Iwais connected on her second jump shot of the quarter to stop the run, but Centenary led 31-22 at the half.
 
The Chargers opened the second half by knocking down a pair of 3-pointers with Tilton swishing the first and Drouillard connecting on the second. However, the Cyclones quickly answered with back-to-back baskets by Taylor Bossert and Jessica McKenzie pushing the lead to 10 points. Drouillard would end the half by scoring off a pretty pass from Kenzie Baughman, pulling within eight points.
 
Freshman Emma Drouillard drilled a 3-pointer to open the fourth quarter for the Chargers. After both teams traded baskets for most of the quarter, the Chargers found themselves down by eight-points with 3:11 remaining. Adalyn Steiner started the rally, finishing a layup off a great pass from Tilton. After Tilton connected on a pair of free throws to close within four-points, Steiner swished a three-pointer, bringing the crowd to their feet and pulling LBC within a single point. The Cyclones would extend the lead back to three with just over a minute remaining. After a defensive stop, senior Tenia Brown battled in the paint taking contact and drawing a foul on a layup, earning a shot at a three-point play. Brown would connect on the free throw tying the game at 54. LBC would make another stand on the defensive end of the floor, sending the game into overtime.  
 
In the extra session, the Cyclones drilled three jump shots to take a 60-55 lead. The Chargers answered back with a layup by Drouillard off a pass from Baughman. Once again, the Cyclones answered back with a quick basket by forward Carmen Escano pushing their lead to five with one minute left. The Chargers made another late push as Steiner drilled a three-pointer to cut the Cyclones lead to four. Clutch free throw shooting by Centenary down the stretch would seal the victory, giving the Cyclones a 69-61 victory.
 
Inside The Numbers
- Lizzy Tilton was a consistent presence on the offensive end, scoring 15 points and gathering in 7 rebounds
- Emma Drouillard reached double figures scoring 12 points, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers
- Jade Eshelman scored 11 points, pulling in seven rebounds
- Adalyn Steiner hit a pair of clutch three-pointers, scoring eight points
- Alaysha Iwais was in command of the offense, dishing five assists
- The Cyclones were led by Carmen Escano and Jessica McKenzie who each scored 18 points
- Centenary won the battle on the glass, holding a 47-43 edge in rebounds
 
What They're Saying
"I thought they responded to the halftime talk well, we did a good job of holding Centenary with our defense, giving ourselves a chance to get back in the game," said head coach Joy Tharrington. "I thought our late game execution was a bright spot and something we can build on. Though we didn't get the result we wanted, I believe having these types of experiences will work in our favor in the future. We had to overcome a late deficit, execute offensively and defensively to force overtime and then throw some players in the fire under pressure, which are all valuable to the growth of the program."
 
Who's Next
The women's basketball team will return to the floor when they travel to Eastern Mennonite University on Saturday, November 13 at 3:00 p.m.
 
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