Reloaded Lady Falcons Enter 11th Straight Tournament Appearance

It was a win that never should have happened. After trailing by as many as 15 to host Susqeuhanna University, the Lady Falcons were in need of a second-half surge. They found it. For Messiah and company, the final 10 seconds of play carried the team's only lead, becoming a fitting conclusion to an otherwise discouraging season opener. "We will never know how different our season would have been had we started out with a tough loss rather than a win," responded freshman guard Nicky Hess. Now four months into the season, Messiah's own Brubaker Auditorium will host the first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament. The Lady Falcons will be there. For head coach Mike Miller, however, the journey to a 9-0 start - and eventual 23-4 regular season record - was seemingly unexpected. "The losses the last two years have been huge," began Athletic Director Jerry Chaplin. " I don't want to use a worn-out cliche, but in this case it is true: this program does not rebuild -- it reloads." After graduating five seniors following the conclusion of the 2008-2009 Messiah season, the Lady Falcons reassembled their roster by adding eight freshman; ten of twelve roster spots are filled by underclassmen. In what should have been a rebuilding year for Miller's conventionally talented program, the 23-year coach turned his focus onto developing the young talent he had so diligently recruited. These students, Chaplin continued, are more than accomplished athletes:

"[The staff] works extremely hard at recruiting student-athletes who are willing to sacrifice some individual glory for the good of the entire team. As they develop in the program, the student-athletes become strong and smart competitors on the court, and mature Christian women off the court and in the classroom."

Supporters who were anticipating a rebuilding year were mistaken; Messiah's come-from-behind defeat of Susquehanna was only the beginning. Before entering in-conference play in January, the Falcons had already surpassed expectations, posting an overwhelming 12-1 mark. January brought similar success, though an 11-3 Commonwealth record was immediately overshadowed by two daunting losses to local rival Lebanon Valley. Hess considered the first defeat - a 46-63 drubbing that left the Falcons stunned on the road - the low point of the season. The momentary wake-up call led way to four consecutive victories, though a second meeting with Lebanon Valley three weeks later yielded a similar result. The Duthcmen left no room for a Messiah victory, upending the home Falcons, 39-52.

The motivating factor that carried the Lady Falcons through a grueling final week of play, however, may have stemmed from the common closeness felt by Miller's young roster. "At first we all got along and we were playing for the same goal of winning and furthering God's kingdom, but now we are also playing for each other and have a better understanding of who we are as individuals and as a team," responded Hess. Chaplin had called it. The relentless Falcons won three of their final four contests, setting the stage for a competitive Commonwealth tournament. As every storybook would write, the final stop would leave the Lady Falcons where they had felt bitter frustration for the first time - nearby Annville, PA, competing against host Lebanon Valley.

This time around, however, the women of Messiah would not disappoint. The Lady Falcons never trailed after an early 2-1 deficit, ultimately overcoming a strong Lebanon Valley squad, 60-55. Senior Julie Henninger was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, recording a team-high 18 points and seven rebounds. The frustration of a regular-season sweep was no match for the fighting Falcons.

With abounding momentum paving their way, Messiah will cling tightly to their home white uniforms as they host the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament this weekend. In conventional fashion, the women of Messiah remain modest regarding their overwhelming accomplishments: "each game we are playing for God, to win, and for the other girls on the team and we have a lot of fun playing the game we all love. You always play harder when you are playing for someone other than yourself.