WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - The Hood College women's basketball team got a big game from its bench to score its first Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth victory of the season, 59-54 at Lycoming.

Mackenzie Grove (Frederick, Md. / Oakdale) hit all five of her field goals to finish with career-high 13 points. Alexis Briscoe (Columbia, Md. / Long Reach) added 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting as the Blazer bench outscored Lycoming's 29-4. The senior also blocked three shots.

Allie Appleby (Bel Air, Md. / C. Milton Wright) led Hood with 15 points. Verkia Smith (Waldorf, Md. / North Point) and Alexis Andrukat (Smithsburg, Md. / Smithsburg) had four assists apiece. 

Smith grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds as the Blazers outrebounded the Warriors 44-41.

Hood trailed for much of the first period, but a 3-point play by Briscoe put the Blazers on top 10-8 heading into the second quarter. 

The Blazers stretched their first half lead to as many as five on three occasions, including a 21-16 edge after Grove sank two free throws with 1:58 left. The Warriors responded with a late 7-3 run, tying the score at 23-23, thanks to an Olivia Manges jumper on their final possession of the half.

Shelby Mueller scored eight of Lycoming's first 15 points of the second half as Hood found itself behind 38-31 with 3:26 left in the third period. A 10-2 run to close the quarter allowed the Blazers to retake a 41-40 lead on two free throws by Taylor McGaughey (New Market, Md. / Oakdale) with one second left.

After the Warriors tied the score at 46-46 in the fourth quarter, Appleby connected on her only 3 of the day with 5:39 to give Hood the lead for good.

Mueller had a game-high 19 points and led Lycoming with 10 rebounds. She also had four assists, three steals and three blocks. Manges scored 11 points. 

Hood looks to stay in the win column on Tuesday, Feb. 16, when they host Stevenson in the Blazers' Pink Game.