After the host Lady Panthers (19-9, 9-5 AMC South) hit a three-pointer to start the game, the Lady Cougars answered with 13 straight points to take a 13-3 lead at the 15:26 mark. Freshman post Amanda Himes (left) scored eight quick points to fuel the surge.

After a free throw by Krissy Haines at the 15:08 mark ended a 4:39 scoreless drought for Ohio Dominican, junior post Melissa Mastrodonato made back-to-back baskets, freshman wing Kelli Pollock nailed a three-pointer, and freshman guard Lauren Johnson hit a jumper to extend MVNU’s lead to 22-4 with 11:33 left before the half.

A three-pointer by Amanda Ritzler closed the gap to 22-7, but the Lady Cougars ended the half on a 20-13 run to expand their lead to 42-20 as the teams went to the locker rooms at the break. Himes scored nine points during the run, while Pollock, junior guard Ashley Brown, and junior wing Bethany Hughes each hit a trey.

Himes led MVNU with 17 points and nine rebounds in the first half alone as she went 8-for-11 from the field. Pollock added six points off the bench, while Hughes and Brown tossed in five points apiece. Junior guard Rachel Fiely also dished out eight assists. The Lady Cougars shot 47.2 percent from the field (17-for-36), 30.8 percent from three-point range (4-for-13), and 40.0 percent from the free throw line (4-for-10). MVNU out-rebounded the Lady Panthers 28-14 including 14-4 on the offensive end and forced 12 turnovers to just six miscues of their own.

Haines paced Ohio Dominican with six points, while Katalin Beck added five points. The Lady Panthers shot just 26.1 percent from the field (6-for-23), 16.7 percent from three-point range (2-for-12), and 66.7 percent from the free throw line (6-for-9).

After the two teams traded baskets over the first five and a half minutes of the second half with the Lady Cougars still holding a 47-27 lead, Ohio Dominican began to chip away at the lead. A 12-0 run closed the gap to 47-39 at the 11:30 mark as Ritzler scored four points and Haines added three points.

With MVNU holding a 58-50 cushion with 5:51 to go, the Lady Panthers used a 9-0 run to take their second lead of the game 59-58 on a jumper by Haines with 3:59 to play. Beck also added five points during the spurt.

A pair of free throws by Fiely (right) with 2:36 remaining helped the Lady Cougars regain the lead 60-59 and a three-pointer by Pollock expanded the margin to 63-59 with 1:46 left.

Beck and Himes exchanged free throws with MVNU still holding a 65-61 advantage with 23 seconds to go, but Haines hit two free throws to close the gap to 65-63 with 14 seconds remaining.

A free throw by Fiely extended the lead to 66-63 with 13 seconds left as she split a pair at the line. However, Himes grabbed the offensive rebound on the miss and Fiely was fouled again with nine seconds to go.

Fiely missed the front end of the one-and-one opportunity, but Jessie Carmack’s three-point attempt was off the mark as the Cougars held on for the 66-63 upset win.

“This was a tremendous win for our team on the road against a great team in front of a packed house,” said MVNU head coach Steve Gregory. “Our kids earned a huge win with outstanding defense and good, timely offense. We played unbelievable in the first half on both ends of the floor. We dominated the low block and knocked down open looks while tearing up the offensive glass. Our team was prepared for a battle today and that was exactly what they got.”

“Amanda had a monster game,” said Gregory. “She was outstanding on the offensive glass and converted her post moves. The guards did a great job of feeding the posts to set up easy scores. Melissa hit some big shots and grabbed a number of offensive rebounds that extended big possessions. I’m excited for this team as we prepare for postseason scenarios next week.”

Himes finished with a double-double of 20 points and a career-high 16 rebounds. Fiely just missed a triple-double with 11 points, nine rebounds, nine assists, and four steals, while Pollock (left) tossed in 11 points off the bench with a trio of treys. Hughes scored seven points in her first career start, and Mastrodonato contributed six points and six rebounds. The Lady Cougars shot 38.7 percent from the field (24-for-62), 31.6 percent from three-point range (6-for-19), and just 57.1 percent from the free throw line (12-for-21). MVNU out-rebounded the Lady Panthers 50-36 including a 22-12 edge on the offensive glass.

Beck tossed in 18 points to lead Ohio Dominican, while Haines added 16 points. Ritzler also scored 10 points, and Chelsea Rogers contributed eight points and seven rebounds. The Lady Panthers shot 35.2 percent from the field (19-for-54), 29.2 percent from three-point range (7-for-24), and 69.2 percent from the free throw line (18-for-26).

The Lady Cougars will now turn their focus to the National Christian College Athletic Association East Region Tournament where MVNU will likely square off with either Geneva (Pa.) College or Roberts Wesleyan (N.Y.) College as early as next Saturday. Details will be posted on the MVNU website as soon as the date, time, and opponent are announced.