The Lady Cougars (3-1) built a 10-point lead in the first half and still led 31-28 at the break despite shooting 28.1 percent from the field (9-for-32). MVNU also went just 2-for-11 from three-point range (18.2 percent) and 11-for-20 from the free throw line (55.0 percent). Junior guard Jessica Lynn (left) led the Lady Cougars with seven points and six steals, while junior center Melissa Mastrodonato added six points.

The Lady Cavaliers (3-4) were led by Chazaree Wright with 14 points and six rebounds in the first half, while Kimberly Staley added seven points and five rebounds. Montreat shot 40.0 percent from the field (10-for-25), 33.3 percent from three-point range (1-for-3), and 70.0 percent from the free throw line (7-for-10). The Lady Cavaliers committed 16 turnovers in the first half to help MVNU maintain its lead.

The Lady Cougars expanded their lead to 62-48 with 5:45 to play in the second half, but the Lady Cavaliers kept whittling away at the lead to stay in contention. However, MVNU went 6-for-8 at the free throw line in the final two minutes to seal the 68-62 victory to earn a berth in the championship game of the tournament on Saturday.

Mastrodonato (right) finished with 16 points to lead the Lady Cougars, while Lynn matched her career high with 11 points to go with nine steals - one shy of the school record set by former MVNU standout Amie Bibby in 1997 against Malone College. Senior forward Amy Sebastian also scored 11 points, and junior guard Rachel Fiely and freshman post Amanda Himes added nine points each with Himes and freshman forward Kellie Jokela both grabbing six rebounds apiece.

MVNU shot 55.0 percent from the field in the second half (11-for-20), 50.0 percent from beyond the arc (2-for-4), and 81.2 percent at the free throw line (13-for-16) to stay in front. The Lady Cougars also forced 27 turnovers and held a 19-1 advantage in bench scoring.

Wright led Montreat with a game-high 31 points on 11-for-19 shooting that included a 9-for-9 showing at the free throw line. She also grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds. Staley finished with 11 points and six rebounds, and Whitney Boone tossed in nine points. The Lady Cavaliers shot 39.6 percent from the field (19-for-48) for the game, 25.0 percent from three-point range (2-for-8), and 78.6 percent from the free throw line (22-for-28). Montreat also had a 37-30 rebounding advantage.

“It was not always pretty tonight, but in the end the most important thing is getting the win,” said MVNU head coach Steve Gregory. “Sometimes, you just have to survive and conquer. Jessica really played well defensively and created a lot of opportunities for us. Rachel also hit some big free throws down the stretch and our upperclassmen provided us good leadership in a tight game. Our freshmen also played a big role in the win and continue to come along. This was a good team win.”

The Lady Cougars will return to action on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. in the championship game against host Tennessee Temple, who defeated the University of the Ozarks (Ark.) 77-73 in Friday’s other first round contest.