The first half went back and forth with 12 lead changes and five ties with each team leading by as much as four points before seeing the gap closed by the other team.

With Cincinnati-Clermont (11-6) holding a 32-29 advantage with 3:45 left in the half, MVNU (12-1) closed the half on a 7-2 run to take a 36-34 lead to the locker room at the break.

Senior guard Rachel Fiely (left) led the Lady Cougars with 13 first-half points, while freshman forward Alexis Harkins added 10 points and seven rebounds. MVNU shot 38.2 percent from the field (13-for-34), 40.0 percent from three-point range (4-for-10), and 75.0 percent from the free throw line (6-for-8).

Shauneece Shipman paced Cincinnati-Clermont with eight first-half points off the bench, while Darlene Carroll added seven points. Cincinnati-Clermont shot 46.2 percent from the field (12-for-26), 50.0 percent from three-point range (4-for-8), and 60.0 percent from the free throw line (6-for-10).

Cincinnati-Clermont got off to a quick start in the second half by using a 13-5 run to take its biggest lead of the game at 47-41 with just four and a half minutes gone by. Carroll and Regan Haucke led the way with four points apiece, while Rachel Brewer drilled a three-pointer to fuel the surge.

The Lady Cougars did not give in, though, as senior post Melissa Mastrodonato and Fiely both made a basket and then freshman guard Gabby Fowler drained a three-pointer at the 13:21 mark to cap a quick 7-0 run that put MVNU back on top 48-47.

A free throw by Dawn Rapp with 12:29 to play stopped the run and knotted the score at 48-48. However, the Lady Cougars would never relinquish the lead again as they continued what would be a 30-12 run that left MVNU firmly in control 71-59 with 2:07 remaining. From there, the teams traded points with the Lady Cougars prevailing 74-62.

“I am very pleased with the win tonight over a good opponent,” said MVNU coach Steve Gregory, whose team had gone 11 days since playing their last game. “Whenever you come back from a break situation, you worry about conditioning and being able to maintain our running style.”

“Our team played hard and separated themselves in the second half by building a double digit cushion,” Gregory continued. “We also played very well defensively in the second half as we limited a team that has been averaging 80 points to just 62 points. Our defense was the key and will be the key as we go forward in conference play.”

Fiely finished with a game-high 24 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and six steals to lead MVNU. Mastrodonato (right) added 10 points and nine rebounds, while Harkins tallied 10 points and seven rebounds. Senior guard Bethany Hughes contributed nine points, six rebounds, and a career-high five assists off the bench, and sophomore forward Kellie Jokela tallied six points and eight rebounds. Fowler and sophomore guard Lauren Johnson also tossed in six points apiece off the bench. The Lady Cougars shot 38.3 percent from the field (23-for-60), 36.0 percent from three-point range (9-for-25), and 65.5 percent from the free throw line (19-for-29).

“Rachel was outstanding tonight,” said Gregory. “She gave us a boost offensively, rebounding, passing, and playing a lot of minutes. Melissa and Alexis both did important things for us tonight to limit Cincinnati-Clermont. Bethany, Gabby, and Kim (BeVier) also gave us valuable minutes and play off the bench tonight. It was great to have Lauren back, too, and that gave us a little more depth at the guard spot.”

Carroll led Cincinnati-Clermont with 13 points, while Brewer finished with 11 points and seven rebounds. Shipman also tossed in 10 points off the bench. Cincinnati-Clermont shot 44.9 percent from the field (22-for-49), 29.4 percent from three-point range (5-for-17), and 54.2 percent from the free throw line (13-for-24).

The Lady Cougars will return to action on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. when MVNU will travel to Walsh University for the team’s American Mideast Conference opener.