MADISON, N.J. -- Messiah lit up FDU-Florham's Ferguson Rec Center Friday night, defeating Randolph-Macon 91-62 in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The Falcons jumped out to a 10-point lead in the opening five minutes of play and extended their advantage to 20 (52-32) at the half. The second half proved to be much of the same, as the Falcons' offense poured it on to take a 30-plus point lead with just five minutes to play.
Offensively, the Falcons shot an impressive 41.4 percent from the field, were 9-17 (52.9 percent) from 3, and shot 78.6 percent from the free-throw line, producing the program's most prolific offensive effort of their 15 NCAA appearances. Messiah's defense also played a big factor in the win as the Falcons forced 22 Yellow Jacket turnovers and even more impressively, turned them into 30 points.
Chelsea Danel (18 points) led four other Falcons in double-digit scoring. Gillian Glackin dominated the paint with 13 rebounds and contributed 16 points for her 10th double-double of the season. Katelyn Vanderhoff made a significant impact on the flow of the game with 14 points, seven assists, and two steals. Sienna Wisse came off the bench to score 13 points, shooting 100 percent (6-6) from the free-throw line, while Taylor Miller added 12 points; all of which came from behind the 3-point line.
