LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – Head coach Sharay Hall (Lock Haven '12) and Millersville took head coach Jennifer Smith (Millersville '02) and Lock Haven to the wire in Monday night's Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East matchup but were unable to edge out the Bald Eagles, falling 49-44.

Smith coached Hall for four years at Lock Haven and helped her develop into an All-PSAC East player on the hardwood. Smith was also a standout player in the PSAC at Millersville before starting her 16-year coaching career at Lock Haven, helping the Marauders to three NCAA Division II tournament appearances.

The matchup between the two coaches was very defense heavy, as each team was held to under 50 points and under 40% from the field. Lock Haven (8-8, 5-7 PSAC) held the edge after one quarter of play, outscoring the Marauders 12-9 and ending the quarter on a 10-2 run. Millersville (2-13, 1-9 PSAC) was able to keep pace in the second quarter, finishing down by four courtesy of a Chandera Jones-Aryeh layup to beat the buzzer.

The score was locked at 38 after the third quarter, which was the Marauders' strongest quarter of the game, as they scored 16 points and forced seven turnovers; However, Bald Eagle defense proved to be the strongest of the two in the fourth quarter, holding the Marauders to just six points, zero points in the final 3:44 of play, while Smith's group put up eleven to pull out the victory against her former standout guard.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Millersville jumped out to a quick 7-2 lead in the first after two Lauren Lister layups and an Erika Reed three-pointer.
• Lock Haven roared back in the first, going on a 10-2 lead to end the quarter and give themselves a 12-9 advantage heading into the second.
• Brooke Lawyer kept the Bald Eagles on top in the second quarter, scoring nine of her 11 points and connecting on two three-pointers.
• Chandera Jones-Aryeh was able to get off a last-second layup to cut the Bald Eagle lead to four going into halftime.
• The two teams were trading buckets in the third quarter, with there being four separate tying scores in the 10 minutes. Lawyer knocked down two free throws to even the score at 38 moving into the fourth.
• Mia Leonard scored the final four points for 'Ville, with her last layup coming at the 3:44 mark in the fourth. The Bald Eagles connected on a couple more shots that the Marauders in the final minutes and that proved to be the difference maker.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• The Marauders held the edge in points off turnovers (14-8), bench points (25-13), and fast break points (6-1).
• The Bald Eagles held the edge in second chance points (13-6) and points in the paint (30-22).
• The Marauders forced 20 Lock Haven turnovers, while only committing 20 of their own.
• Millersville finished the game shooting 32.8% from the floor, 10% from beyond the arch, and 71.4% from the free-throw line. They shot a team-high 40% in the fourth quarter of play.
• Lister led the team in scoring with 10 and recorded a team-high four steals. Leonard and La'Shyra Williams each scored six and brought down four boards in the loss.  
• Brenna Ortwein led the team in rebounding with six on the night.   
• Lister, Reed, Christa Ricks, and Atiya McDonald each dished out two assists.

POST GAME REACTION FROM HEAD COACH SHARAY HALL

• Thoughts on the night: "Returning back to Thomas Fieldhouse was a fulfilling moment; A lot of blood, sweat, tears, and great memories were made in the that gym. Although our play tonight didn't result in a win, I am looking forward to the start of a new rivalry against my former head coach."

UP NEXT

• The Marauders will travel home to face off with Slippery Rock on Wednesday, Jan. 26 at 5:30 p.m. in Pucillo Gymnasium.