The Lancaster Bible women's basketball team traveled south to the nation's capital to compete against United East Conference foe Gallaudet in Washington D.C. Despite a cold start to the first half, the Chargers' late first half comeback, led by an offensive outburst from senior Mikayla Via, helped the Chargers secure a 65-56 win. The Chargers now move to an impressive 9-3 overall, and 4-0 in conference play while the Bison drop to 2-12, and 1-4 in conference.
 
How It Happened: Both teams began the first quarter cold from the floor until a Bison jumper two minutes into the game broke the ice. Junior guard Alaysha Iwais found the basket first for the Chargers, then sophomore Sydney Heller added another layup to bring the score within two, but the Bison continued to pound the paint, escaping to a 17-5 lead with a minute left in the first quarter. Senior Mikayla Via hit her first three of ten first-half points to bring the game within nine points and fellow teammate Jenna Dombach added a three-pointer of her own, closing the deficit to six points before the end of the first quarter.  

The Chargers regained the lead halfway through the second quarter on a jumper from freshman Irene Were, the Chargers first lead and the turning point within the game. The Chargers kept their lead going into halftime, overcoming several Bison efforts largely in part because of Via's seven second quarter points coming at key separation points. The Chargers headed to halftime leading 26-21.
 
The team effort from the Chargers continued into the second half with six different Chargers scoring in the third quarter, helping the lead grow to as much as 12 points on a three-point field goal from Were.
 
The Chargers continued to keep it rolling into the final quarter of play behind the likes of sophomore Jade Eshelman, Steiner, and Iwais. The lead was as much as 17 points at one point in the game and remained in the double-digit territory until a last second shot brought the lead to nine. It was a great team effort in Washington, D.C., that ultimately led to the Chargers' fourth United East win and a still undefeated record in conference play.
 
By the Numbers: The Chargers shot 33.9 percent (21-62) from the field while shooting 25 percent (5-20) from beyond the arc and 75 percent (18-24) from the line… the Bison shot 40 percent (22-55) from the floor and 61 percent (11-18) from the free throw line… the Chargers tallied 13 assists for the afternoon and had four players reach double figures… the Chargers also scored 17 points off turnovers and 15 second chance points… sophomore Jenna Dombach led the Chargers with 13 points and Steiner, Via, and Were all found double figures… Cassidy Perry of Gallaudet had a monster game with 26 points on 12 made field goals.
 
Information to Know: The Chargers hold a 17-4 record over the Bison in program history, but last year the Bison came away victorious in both matchups… this is the Chargers' first win over the Bison since February 8^th, 2020.
 
Up Next: The Chargers will stay on the road for another United East matchup with Penn St. Harrisburg this coming Tuesday, January 17^th at 7:00 p.m.