With the score tied at 9-9 in the early going, the host Lady Raiders (5-6) used a 20-4 run to build a 29-13 advantage with 8:34 left in the first half. Erin Vess led the surge with six points, while Jackie Murphy added five points.

The visiting Lady Cougars (10-2) began to chip away at the lead as MVNU closed the half on a 23-12 run of its own to pull within 41-36 at the break. Junior guard Jessica Lynn (left) led the comeback with seven points, while junior guard Rachel Fiely added six points.

Junior center Melissa Mastrodonato and freshman post Amanda Himes both scored nine points to lead the Lady Cougars in the first half, while Lynn and Fiely added eight points apiece. MVNU shot 40.0 percent from the field (14-for-35), 25.0 percent from three-point range (2-for-8), and 54.5 percent from the free throw line (6-for-11).

Vess and Murphy scored 10 points apiece to pace Roberts Wesleyan in the first half. The Lady Raiders shot 40.0 percent from the field (14-for-35), 44.4 percent from three-point range (4-for-9), and 60.0 percent from the free throw line (9-for-15). Roberts Wesleyan also held a 25-22 rebounding advantage.

The Lady Raiders started the second half on a 16-3 run to build a commanding 57-39 lead with just five and a half minutes gone by. Joanna Patalano scored six points, and Erin Farney added four points.

A quick 12-4 run by the Lady Cougars closed the gap to 61-51 at the 11:06 mark as Fiely nailed a pair of three-pointers.

However, that would prove to be as close as MVNU would get the rest of the way as Roberts Wesleyan used a 28-7 to take its biggest lead of the game 89-58 with 2:48 to play on the way to the 90-63 victory. The Lady Cougars were just 3-for-13 during the critical run and committed three turnovers as the Lady Raiders pulled away for the win.

“We were fortunate to put a run together to get within five points at the half,” said MVNU head coach Steve Gregory. “We were pretty rusty and struggled in virtually every aspect of the game tonight. We also ran into a very hot shooting Roberts Wesleyan team in the second half. They earned this win tonight.”

“We turned the ball over way too much, we didn’t crash the offensive glass, we didn’t get great looks or knock them down on the offensive end when we did get them, and we didn’t get loose balls. We faltered in about every area that we could tonight. We need to get much more consistent in order to be a great team.”

Fiely (right) led the Lady Cougars with 17 points and seven assists, while Himes and Mastrodonato both finished with 14 points apiece with Himes matching her career high with a game-high 11 rebounds. Lynn added eight points - all coming in the first half. MVNU shot just 37.1 percent from the field (23-for-62), 21.1 percent from three-point range (4-for-19), and 61.9 percent from the free throw line (13-for-21). The Lady Cougars also committed 21 turnovers that resulted in 26 points for Roberts Wesleyan.

Murphy scored a game-high 20 points to lead five Lady Raiders in double figures. Patalano and Farney each added 14 points, while Vess tallied 13 points. Aimee Kovinchick also posted a double-double with 12 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds. Roberts Wesleyan shot 47.9 percent from the field (34-for-71), 50.0 percent from three-point range (9-for-18), and 65.0 percent from the free throw line (13-for-20). The Lady Raiders also won the battle of the boards 46-38.

MVNU will look to bounce right back on Saturday when the Lady Cougars will travel to Houghton (N.Y.) College for another non-conference game that will begin at 4:00 p.m.