MVNU (2-1) got off to a good start as the Lady Cougars jumped out to a 15-6 lead over the first seven minutes. Freshman forward Kellie Jokela (left) scored five early points, while junior post Melissa Mastrodonato added four points.

Then, the visiting Lady Wildcats (1-3), who have posted five straight 20-win seasons and made four consecutive trips to the NAIA Division II National Tournament, rattled off 14 straight points to go in front 20-15 with 8:31 left in the first half. Sarah Soroka led the surge with five points, while Michelle Thorp nailed a three-pointer.

With Daemen still holding a 28-23 lead with 2:36 remaining in the half, junior guard Rachel Fiely nailed back-to-back treys and started an 8-2 run to close the half as MVNU took a 31-30 lead to the locker room at the break.

Senior forward Amy Sebastian and freshman post Amanda Himes each scored seven first-half points to lead the Lady Cougars, while Fiely added six points. Jokela grabbed seven rebounds to lead MVNU to a 24-23 rebounding advantage in the first half. The Lady Cougars shot 30.3 percent from the field (10-for-33), 28.6 percent from three-point range (2-for-7), and 52.9 percent from the free throw line (9-for-17).

Sarah Bogardus and Marybeth Nugent both scored six first-half points to lead the Lady Wildcats, who shot 40.6 percent from the field (13-for-32), 16.7 percent from three-point range (1-for-6), and 60.0 percent from the free throw line (3-for-5).

The game went back and forth to start the second half with two ties and three lead changes as Daemen held a 39-38 advantage at the 14:26 mark. Then, the Lady Wildcats used a 10-1 run to take their biggest lead of the game 49-39 with 12:16 to play as Bogardus scored eight points.

Trailing 61-54 with 2:25 to play, Sebastian started one final surge for MVNU with a three-pointer as the Lady Cougars used a 10-3 run to knot the score at 64-64 with 17 seconds to go on another desperation trey by Sebastian with time winding down.

However, Daemen took the lead for good with 0.6 seconds left when Mary Kate Wilson nailed a 14-foot jumper from the left wing to give the Lady Wildcats the victory when MVNU failed to get a shot off as the buzzer sounded.

Mastrodonato (right) and Sebastian both finished with 16 points to lead the Lady Cougars, while Fiely and Himes added 10 points apiece with Himes grabbing eight rebounds. Jokela contributed seven points and 10 rebounds, and Fiely and Sebastian each had four steals. MVNU shot just 29.7 percent from the field (19-for-64), 41.7 percent from three-point range (5-for-12), and 61.8 percent from the free throw line (21-for-34).

“We struggled to find consistency in several areas tonight,” said MVNU head coach Steve Gregory. “Free throw shooting was costly as was giving up easy transition layups. We also did not finish well in transition. We missed several great 2-on-1 opportunities. Offensively, we have to get more production from our guards in order for us to be successful.”

“That being said, it was still a one-possession game at the end,” Gregory added. “Our defense was pretty good. Also, we took pretty good care of the ball but just could not convert on offense. This is a very young team that we want to mature quickly. We will take it one game at a time and see what they can do in the end.”

Bogardus led Daemen with 21 points, while Soroka posted a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds to go with four blocked shots. Nugent also tossed in 11 points, and Haleigh Van Fleet dished out eight assists. The Lady Wildcats shot 48.3 percent from the field (28-for-58), 27.3 percent from three-point range (3-for-11), and 58.3 percent at the free throw line (7-for-12). They also posted a 46-39 rebounding advantage to help offset 31 turnovers.

MVNU will return to action next Friday when the Lady Cougars travel to Tennessee Temple University for a tournament. MVNU will face Montreat (N.C.) College in the first round at 6:00 p.m.