An 11-0 run midway through the second half was the difference as the Misericordia University women's basketball team fought off Baptist Bible 57-50, Monday in the Anderson Center.

Junior Christine Marks had team-highs with 20 points and nine rebounds. Sophomore Tyann McDaniel made five three-pointers and finished with 17 points. Jesse Robinson added seven boards and six assists.

Trailing 32-29 with 15:28 remaining, Robinson and Marks hit baskets before McDaniel dropped in two consecutive triples to put Misericordia ahead. Marks followed that with another three that completed the 11-0 run and gave MU an eight-point lead.

Twice the Defenders attempted to mount a comeback, first with an and-one from Kacee Rava and a three-pointer by Ruthie Butts that cut the deficit to two points. Misericordia's Lauren Smicherko answered with a nice bank shot and McDaniel hit another from long distance to restore a seven-point MU lead.

Two quick baskets from Rava made it a five-point game with 3:43 left but Courtney Sykes answered with a huge set shot that put the Cougars up 49-42. After a BBC free throw, Katie Drayton chased down two offensive rebounds on the next MU possession to keep the clock running.

Marks had helped keep Misericordia close early in the second half, converting from behind the arc to make the score 26-25 BBC and then completing a nice spin move to stay within a point.

In the first half, Kayla Sileo's layup with 9:13 remaining put the Cougars ahead 18-12. However, the hosts would only convert one more basket the rest of the period, as BBC pulled ahead for a 22-20 halftime lead.

McDaniel's second three-pointer of the opening five minutes gave MU an early 10-5 advantage. Butts hit a step-back trey to make it 14-12, but Marks answered with a nice cut to the basket at the other end of the floor.

Rava was causing problems for the Cougars underneath, and hit a pair of layups that pulled Baptist Bible to within two late in the half, before Laura Hodupp closed out the period with two baskets that allowed BBC to take a surprise 22-20 lead into the break.

Rava finished with game-highs in points (25), rebounds (12) and steals (four). Butts finished with 13 points, while Hodupp added seven assists and seven boards.

The Cougars have now won five of six and improve to 12-7 overall. MU travels to face local rival Wilkes, Wednesday at 6 PM.