OWINGS MILLS, Md. – Stevenson women's basketball (4-14, 0-7) put up a mid-game battle to the Messiah University Falcons (15-3, 7-0) Wednesday evening in Owings Mills gymnasium. The final score was 64-48 for the Falcons' win.
 
Despite the opposition getting on the board early in the first quarter, SU junior guard Emori Jeselskis found a scoring chance after a free throw about halfway into the quarter. With 4:20 remaining, sophomore guard Erin Dixon added a three, which was followed by a jumper from sophomore forward Tessa Boswell to take a lead.  Losing the early advantage only temporarily, first-year forward Janie Smith added two with two minutes on the clock. Despite the early lead switches, the Falcons ended the quarter on top, 15-10.
 
Pushing for an advantage, Jeselskis got the early opportunity in the second quarter. As the Falcons continued to widen the gap, the Mustangs found more chances halfway into the quarter with a layup from junior forward Stephenae Lawrence and a jumper from first-year guard Elia Richardson. In the span of less than a minute, first-year guard Amoni Taylor sunk a three to bring the Mustangs' total to 20, followed by layups from both Dixon and sophomore forward Aliyah Jean-Jacques. Smith added two more points with 25 seconds remaining, bringing the score at the half to 34-26, with the Mustangs trailing.
 
Two minutes came and went after the half before Dixon added two points in the third. Just over 20 seconds later, Lawrence brought the team to 30. Keeping the Falcons at bay, the gap was further tightened by Boswell with 5:56 remaining in the quarter. Another three from Taylor and a layup from Smith seconds later in the final two minutes worked to close the gap. The third ended with SU in a 42-37 deficit.
 
In the fourth quarter, free throws for the Mustangs from Boswell and Lawrence brought the team to 40 and the widening  gap under 10 points. Lawrence added a layup with 6:34 on the clock. Taylor and Dixon pushed the team to the 50-point mark to maintain the under-10-point deficit, but the Mustangs ultimately fell behind, ending the game with the final 64-48 decision.
 
Dixon added nine total points, six rebounds and three assists, going 4-for-12 at the basket. Behind her were Lawrence and Taylor, who each added eight points. Boswell finished with seven points and six rebounds.
 
The Mustangs will stay on home court as they take on the Widener University Pride this Saturday, Jan. 27, for a 2 p.m. start.