(Huntingdon, Pa.) – The Dickinson women's basketball team opened the 2016-17 season with a win at Juniata College on Tuesday night. The Red Devils overcame a 10-point deficit and were solid at the free throw line to post a 72-64 victory.

The Red Devils struck first to start the year before the Eagles went on a 7-0 run. Senior guard Helen Roberts (Oakton, Va./Oakton) knocked-down a three-pointer to cut the deficit to 7-5.

Juniata built an 18-12 lead at the end of the first quarter behind 9-for-12 shooting from the free throw line. The Eagles stretched the margin to 11 before the Devils made a run, capped by a three-pointer from first-year Hannah Heiring (Wayzata, Minn./Wayzata) to trail by four.

The Eagles built the lead to 32-23 before senior Mary Martin (Honesdale, Pa./Honesdale) hit a jumper and a lay-up at the buzzer to made the score, 32-27, at the break.

Roberts hit a triple and Kelsey Walsh (Malvern, Pa./Great Valley) buried back-to-back three-pointers to make the score 43-38, at the six-minute mark of the third period.

First-year Lauren McBride (Trenton, N.J./Gill St. Bernard's) started to take over on the boards, on both ends of the floor, and gave the Devils and another scoring threat in the post.

McBride made a strong move inside to open the fourth quarter with a three-point play and went the length of the floor after a steal to put Dickinson on top, 52-51.

Kassidy Lesher (Shoemakersville, Pa./Hamburg) blocked a shot and fed Jennifer Smith (Short Hills, N.J./Millburn) for another, but a three-pointer from the Eagles tied the game at 54-54, with seven minutes remaining. Roberts countered and traded a three-pointer for a Juniata field-goal to give the Devils a 57-56 advantage.

Smith made two strong moves and hit four free throws to break a tie at 59. She added two more after a Lesher put-back, to give the Devils a 67-61 lead with 1:33 on the clock. Dani Atkinson converted a three-point play for Juniata to make it a one possession game, but the Eagles were forced to foul and Roberts stretched the lead to four.

Smith grabbed the rebound on the other end and was sent to the line once again. She hit the first, but a lane violation gave the ball to Juniata with the Devils up, 69-64.

McBride came up with another huge steal and Smith was fouled, adding two more from the charity stripe to extend the lead to seven with just 23 seconds to play. Lesher finished things off with a defensive rebound and two free throws as the Devils win the opener, 72-64.

The Red Devils had three players reach double-figures, led by Smith with 13, hitting 9-of-10 free throws and controlling five rebounds. Martin and Roberts each finished with 11 while Martin added nine rebounds, three assists, three blocked shots and a pair of steals. Roberts hit a three shots from beyond the arc and had four rebounds on the night.

McBride finished with a great line as well, scoring nine points to go with seven rebounds, three steals and a 3-for-3 night from the line. Lesher tallied eight points, seven rebounds and a pair of blocks while Heiring totaled eight points as well, hitting a pair of three-pointers.

Atkinson led Juniata with 17 points as they start 0-1 on the year. The Red Devils (1-0) are one the road again this weekend, traveling to the St. Mary's College of Maryland Tip-Off Tournament, facing Messiah College on Friday night at 7:00 pm.