(Grantham, Pa.) – The Dickinson women's basketball team would be unbeaten on the year if it wasn't for a pair of non-conference match-ups with unbeaten and #24-ranked Messiah College. The Red Devils (8-2) matched-up with the Falcons in the second game of the season at the St. Mary's Tip-Off Tournament and traveled to face them again on Tuesday night to start off the new year.

The Red Devils held a 16-14 lead at the end of the first quarter, but Messiah was able to outscore the visitors the rest of the way for a 62-41 win as they improve to 12-0 on the season.

Senior Mary Martin (Honesdale, Pa./Honesdale) and junior Kassidy Lesher (Shoemakersville, Pa./Hamburg) scored four points while Mackenzie Skerritt (Hightstown, N.J./The Peddie School) and Hannah Heiring (Wayzata, Minn./Wayzata) each knocked-down a three-pointer to give the lead in the opening quarter.

Martin scored back-to-back lay-ups to put the Red Devils up, 16-8, before the Falcons closed the gap to 16-14 with a 6-0 run at the end of the period.

Messiah came out strong in the second, countering an early score from Martin with a 15-0 run to lead by 11 at the midpoint of the quarter. The Red Devils traded baskets with the Falcons over the final four minutes of the half to trail, 36-25, at the break.

Messiah went to work inside, holding a 10-2 advantage on points-in-the-paint to lead 52-33 at the end of the third. The Devils scored all eight points in the final 3:11 of the quarter as first-year Lauren McBride (Trenton, N.J./Gill St. Bernard's) led the charge with six.

The Red Devils kept pace with the hosts over the final 10 minutes as Messiah held just a 10-8 advantage in the fourth quarter for the final of 62-41.

Alecia Rohrer led Messiah (12-0) with 16 points while Maci Thompson added 12 on the night.

Martin led Dickinson with eight points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals. Heiring tallied seven points while Lesher finished with six points and a game-high 10 rebounds.

Senior Jennifer Smith (Short Hills, N.J./Millburn) came off the bench to tally four points, four rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals. Helen Roberts (Oakton, Va./Oakton) added four points and five rebounds.

The Red Devils drop just their second of the season, slipping to 8-2 overall. They return to Centennial Conference action on Saturday, hosting Haverford College at 2:00 pm.