Millersville, Pa. - Even with two regular starters sidelined with injuries, Millersville women's basketball built a 19-point third quarter lead on visiting Lock Haven Saturday. But the Bald Eagles made the game interesting late, charging back to within three with less than a minute left until timely free throw shooting and stingy defense helped the Marauders close out a 61-55 victory.

Millersville (14-7, 10-7 PSAC) won its fourth consecutive game and for the fifth time in six despite playing without the services of starting forwards Aunjel Van Brakle and Yasmin Cooper. The absences were noticed in a first quarter that the Marauders managed just six points. The offense was corrected in the second quarter as the Marauders poured in 22 points and used an 18-2 run and a buzzer-beating bucket from Celeste Robinson to carry a 12-point advantage into the half.

The Marauders pushed the lead to 41-22 midway through the third quarter after Kendra Bamberger connected for two. At the other end, Rachael McDaniel knocked down two foul shots and that was the start of an 11-minute stretch of action in which Lock Haven outscored the Marauders 26-10. The run extended to the 3:37 mark of the fourth quarter. While Millersville shot 3-of-13 from the field, Lock Haven hit 10-of-15 shots from the field and all four foul shots. McDaniel's triple pulled Lock Haven to within 51-48.

Alayah Hall momentarily halted Lock Haven's run with a pair of free throws. Courtney Hinnant hit one and Alex Stam made two more to push Millersville's lead back to eight with just over two minutes to play. But Lock Haven was hardly finished. The Bald Eagles scored on three consecutive possessions to slash Millersville's lead to 56-53 with 56 ticks to go. Lock Haven forced a Stam missed jumper on the ensuing possession but Millersville gained control of the rebound, putting Lock Haven in a must-foul situation.

Stam was sent to the line where she knocked down both. Lock Haven put the ball in the hands of Mackenzie Livingstone but her shot in the paint was swatted away by Robinson. Millersville put the game out of reach at the free throw stripe.

The Marauders knocked down 15-of-17 free throws. Stam, Robinson and Hall combined to make 9-of-9. Hall has now made 18 in row. Robinson led the Marauders with 15 points and was also a menace at the defensive end, totaling seven steals and grabbing seven boards. Hinnant and Shelby Reimer both scored 11 points.

Millersville has now won 16 of 19 home games against Lock Haven since 1983. The Marauders, fighting their way up the PSAC East standings, travel to division-leading Shippensburg on Wednesday.