GRANTHAM, Pa. - A second half comeback fell short as the Stevenson women's basketball team fell, 69-68, to No. 24 and unbeaten Messiah on Thursday night at Brubaker Auditorium.  

Senior Sara Tarbert totaled 37 points in the game, becoming Stevenson's all-time leading scorer.  She has totaled 1,398 points in 67 games, surpassing Cara Hill who finished her career with 1,389 points in 108 games.  Tarbert also grabbed 13 rebounds, recording her 12th double double on the season.

Stevenson (6-6, 3-2 MAC Commonwealth) trailed by as many as 17 in the first half and 36-23 at halftime.  Tarbert hit a layup just nine seconds into the second half to spark an 8-3 run that cut Stevenson's deficit to single digits for the first time since the opening quarter.  The run was highlighted by a block and six points from Tarbert and two free throws and a steal from sophomore Jonyae Curry, who was playing in her first game after missing the last five.  The Falcons totaled five straight points, but the Mustangs responded with a 14-2 run to make it a one point game, 46-45, with 2:34 to play in the third period.

Messiah's (13-0, 4-0 MAC Commonwealth) Gillian Glackin hit a layup on the next Messiah possession, but four straight points gave Stevenson its first lead of the game, 49-48, with just over a minute remaining in the third.  The Falcons regained the lead as they held a 52-49 advantage entering the final frame.

Trailing seven with 8:25 to play in the game, Curry drew two defenders and hit Tarbert on the left block for her 28th point of the game, making her the all-time leading scorer in program history.  

Messiah maintained its five point lead, but a charge by Imani Sanders with just under two minutes to play swung the momentum to Stevenson.  An old fashioned three pointer by Tarbert on the other end and a layup from junior Kristine Tennyson tied the game, 66-66 with 1:20 on the clock.

After Messiah's Alecia Rohrer made 1-of-2 at the line to give the Falcons a 67-66 lead, Sanders converted a driving layup with 1:01 left to put Stevenson on top 68-67.

With the game locked at 68 with 24 seconds to play after Messiah's Jen Fairbanks went 1-2 at the line, Messiah was awarded possession after a jump ball.  The Falcons held out for the last shot where they drew a foul with 0.3 seconds to play. Glackin hit one of two free throws, but Stevenson's last second attempt fell short.  

The Mustangs turned the ball over on four of their first six possessions as Messiah jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the opening period.  Stevenson was unable to convert for almost half of the period, but a layup from Tarbert broke the drought and got the Mustangs on the board.  

Messiah stretched its lead to 12-2, but a steal by Sanders led to another two points from Tarbert on the other end.  Junior Kaitlyn VanTash added two free throws to cut Stevenson's deficit, but a Messiah layup on the next possession made it a 10 point game with just under two minutes to play in the period. The teams traded baskets as the hosts held an 18-8 advantage to start the second.

After the Falcons totaled four quick points to start the second quarter, Curryand freshman Hannah Crist each hit layups on the left side to swing the momentum to the guests.  After Curry drew a charge down low, the Mustangs were agressive as they forced trips to the free throw line on their next three possessions.  The guests hit four of six from the line as they trailed 28-17 with just under five minutes remaining in the half.  Messiah extended its lead to 17, but back-to-back layups from Tarbert made it a 36-23 game at the break.

In the first half, the Falcons held a 21-15 advantage on the boards and an 11-8 advantage in forced turnovers.  Messiah also shot 41.7 percent from the floor compared to 38.1 percent for Stevenson.  The Mustangs went 7-9 from the free throw line.  

Messiah finished leading 39-34 on the boards, but the Mustangs held an 18-14 advantage in forced turnovers.  Stevenson shot 51 percent from the floor, compared to 37.5 percent for the Falcons.  This was the first time all season that the Mustangs have lost after finishing with a higher shooting percentage than their opponent.

Joining Tarbert in double figures, Curry totaled 14 points and eight rebounds.  Niavanni Grant finished with five points and VanTash grabbed five rebounds.

The Mustangs return to action on Saturday, January 7th when they host MAC Commonwealth opponent, Lycoming, beginning at 4 p.m.