Millersville, Pa. - An 8-0 run occurring midway through the second half propelled the Millersville women's basketball team to a 69-65 win over UVa-Wise in the Atlantic Region Challenge Saturday afternoon. The Marauders were led by redshirt senior Carly Gallagher, who led all players with 27 points. Gallagher iced the game late when she knocked down a clutch foul shot with 10 seconds remaining to extend her team's advantage to four.
 
The Cavilers opened the game on a 7-0 run that saw guard Katie Jo Dockery knock down a pair of 3-pointers. The Marauders would finally shake off the offseason rust when they responded with a 10-2 run of their own and took the 10-9 lead with just over 14 minutes to play in the opening half.
 
Millersville (1-0) eventually took a 26-25 lead into the intermission. The first half proved to be ultra-competitive as the two teams traded the lead seven times in the first 20 minutes of action.
 
Millersville and UVa.-Wise swapped the lead six times in the first seven minutes of the second half before Millersville's 8-0 run put the home team in front 51-42 with 9:30 remaining. The lead proved to be the biggest of the contest, as UVa-Wise spent the remaining minutes of play clawing their way back. Things got interesting in the final minute of play as Dockery hit a 3-pointer that cut the lead to three with 13 seconds left. On the ensuing inbounds play Gallagher was fouled and made one of two free throws to put the game away for the Marauders.
 
Millersville received strong play in the post, out-rebounding the Cavaliers 40-3 and enjoying a 40-22 scoring advantage in the paint. Yasmin Cooper provided 28 minutes of high-energy play in the post. She finished the contest with 11 points and four rebounds. Alexis Martin finished one point shy of a double-double in the win as she grabbed a game-high 11 boards to go along with her nine points. 
 
Head coach Mary Fleig has now won nine straight season openers, and the Marauders will once again be in action tomorrow when they face Chowan at 3 p.m. in Pucillo Gymnasium.