Mansfield, Pa. - Millersville women's basketball fought its way back from a 17-point deficit and closed the gap to as few as one in the waning seconds of Wednesday's PSAC East match-up with Mansfield. But the Mountaineers' Becky Evans hit four free throws in the last 10 seconds and Millersville came up empty in its last-ditch, game-tying effort. Mansfield held on for a 72-67 win, ending Millersville's 17-game winning streak in the series.

Millersville (1-1) had won 64 of 67 games against Mansfield, but the Mountaineers were fueled Wednesday by red-hot shooting in the first half--50 percent from the field and 56 percent from three--and 28 points from Katie Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick connected on 11-of-14 shots and hit both of her 3-pointers. Millersville simply had no answer, especially with Celeste Robinson not finding her rhythm because of early foul trouble. After a 19-point, 15-rebound double-double in the opener, Robinson shot 2-of-9 for six points and had five turnovers, including an offensive foul whistled on the Marauders' final possession of the game.

Millersville managed just 28 points in the first half, and Mansfield held a 43-28 lead at the break. That sizable lead was built with a 17-3 run over the final six minutes of the second quarter. The two clubs were tied at 26 apiece, but Fitzpatrick hit a triple that got Mansfield rolling. Fitzpatrick added another four more points and Evans cashed two 3-pointers in the stretch.

Mansfield held a 16-point advantage with just 6:06 left in the third quarter, but Shelby Reimer's bucket started a 14-2 run for the Marauders in which they recorded four steals and forced six turnovers in just over six minutes of action. Mansfield managed to keep at least a three-point lead until Aunjel Van Brakle scored for two with 2:07 to play, cutting the deficit to 65-63. Fitzpatrick and Yasmin Cooper traded buckets, and after Brielle Kelly made one of two free throws with 36 seconds left, Cooper followed a miss with a putback to make the score 68-67. But forced to foul with 10 seconds left, Millersville sent Evans to the line. Evans canned both and the Marauders failed to get off a shot on their final possession.

Reimer led Millersville with 15 points and three assists, hitting 6-of-14 shots. Cooper was the only other Marauder in double figures with 11. The Marauders also did themselves no favors at the free throw line, making just 10-of-25.

Millersville faces a difficult PSAC Western Division back-to-back this weekend as it travels to Gannon Saturday and Clarion Sunday.