With the score tied at 8-8 with six minutes gone by, MVNU (12-3) rattled off 14 straight points to build a 22-8 advantage with 7:11 left in the first half. Freshman guard Lauren Johnson (left) led the way with four points, while junior guard Ashley Brown nailed a three-pointer as six different players scored during the run for the Lady Cougars.

The Lady Racers (2-13) closed the gap to 22-15 with 4:10 remaining before halftime with a 7-0 run, but MVNU was able to maintain its lead and went to the locker room at the break up 25-17.

Johnson led the Lady Cougars with six first-half points off the bench, while junior post Melissa Mastrodonato tossed in five points. Four other MVNU players scored three points apiece as the Lady Cougars shot just 31.0 percent from the field (9-for-29), 16.7 percent from three-point range (1-for-6), and 66.7 percent from the free throw line (6-for-9). MVNU also held an 18-13 edge in rebounds.

Krissy Koester paced Northwestern Ohio with six points and six rebounds in the first half, while Kristi Platfoot added four points. The Lady Racers shot 38.1 percent from the field (8-for-21), 12.5 percent from three-point range (1-for-8), and did not attempt a free throw. They also turned the ball over 14 times to just 10 first-half turnovers for the Lady Cougars.

Northwestern Ohio opened the second half with a 14-4 run to take a 31-29 lead on a layup by Alexa Kennedy at the 15:05 mark. Andrea Meyer fueled the comeback with a pair of three-pointers, while Koester added a three-point play.

The game went back and forth for the next 12 and a half minutes with three ties and five lead changes with the score knotted at 53-53 with 2:32 to play.

A three-point play by freshman forward Kellie Jokela (right) gave MVNU a 56-53 lead with 2:05 left, and junior guard Rachel Fiely went 2-for-4 at the free throw line to extend the Lady Cougars’ lead to 58-53 with 28 seconds remaining.

A free throw by Abbie Clifton closed the gap to 58-54 with 19 seconds left, but Fiely went 1-for-2 at the line to extend the lead back to 59-54 with eight seconds to go. From there, MVNU held on for the victory to improve to 12-3 after posting an 11-17 overall record last season.

Mastrodonato led the Lady Cougars with 15 points and nine rebounds, while Jokela posted a double-double with 11 points and a career-high 16 rebounds. Fiely finished with nine points, and junior guard Jessica Lynn, Johnson, and freshman post Amanda Himes each contributed six points apiece. MVNU shot 35.0 percent from the field (21-for-60), 18.2 percent from three-point range (2-for-11), and 65.2 percent from the free throw line (15-for-23).

Koester finished with 14 points and eight rebounds to lead Northwestern Ohio, while Meyer added 12 points with four three-pointers. Clifton and Erian Buckman also scored nine points apiece. The Lady Racers shot 48.9 percent from the field (22-for-45), 35.7 percent from three-point range (5-for-14), and 41.7 percent from the free throw line (5-for-12).

The Lady Cougars will return to action on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. when MVNU will host Wilberforce University in an American Mideast Conference South Division contest.