MVNU (23-7), the No. 5 seed in the six-team tournament, got off to a quick start as the Lady Cougars scored the first six points of the game and built a 17-7 lead by the 11:42 mark of the first half as sophomore forward Kellie Jokela (left) led the way with five points and sophomore post Amanda Himes, sophomore guard Lauren Johnson, and freshman forward Alexis Harkins each added four points apiece. The No. 4 seed Lady Racers (17-13) went just 2-for-19 from the field during this stretch (10.5 percent)

With MVNU still holding a 19-9 lead, Northwestern Ohio went on a 13-1 run to take a 22-20 lead with 5:47 to play in the half. Ashley Jackson fueled the comeback with seven points, while Amanda Francis added four points.

A three-pointer by Jokela gave the Lady Cougars a 23-22 advantage at the 5:04 mark, but the score was knotted again at 25-25 following a three-point play by Abbie Clifton with 4:01 left before the break.

Harkins and Himes both scored four points apiece to give MVNU a 34-27 lead, but a three-pointer by Stacy Feathers trimmed the margin to 34-30 as the teams went to the locker rooms at the half.

Harkins paced the Lady Cougars with 12 points and five rebounds in the first half, while Himes added 10 points and five rebounds. Jokela contributed eight points, and senior guard Rachel Fiely dished out five assists. MVNU shot 41.2 percent from the field (14-for-34), 30.0 percent from three-point range (3-for-10), and 60.0 percent from the free throw line (3-for-5).

The Lady Racers were led by Jackson with 10 points and five steals in the first half, while Francis added six points. Northwestern Ohio shot just 29.7 percent from the field (11-for-37), 14.3 percent from three-point range (2-for-14), and 85.7 percent from the free throw line (6-for-7).

Layups by Clifton and Kristi Platfoot and a free throw by Platfoot pulled the Lady Racers within 37-35 with just over two minutes gone by in the second half.

However, the Lady Cougars answered with a 20-7 run over the next seven minutes to take their biggest lead of the game 57-42 on a jumper by Himes (right) with 10:56 to play. Harkins hit a three-pointer and three free throws during the surge, while Fiely and senior guard Ashley Brown both added a trey apiece.

The lead was not safe for long, though, as Jenna Blackburn came off the Northwestern Ohio bench to score 10 quick points including a pair of three-pointers and Molly French added four points as the Lady Racers closed the gap to 62-58 with 5:03 still on the clock.

The two teams traded points over the next two minutes with MVNU still clinging to a 65-61 advantage with 3:08 left. Then, Fiely hit a pair of free throws and nailed a three-pointer to extend the lead back out to 70-61 with 2:20 remaining.

A layup by Kelly Warris, a three-pointer by Alexa Kennedy, and a trey by French pulled the Lady Racers to within 72-69 with 1:03 to go. After both teams missed a shot on their next possession, Fiely nailed a pair of free throws to give the Lady Cougars a 74-69 lead with 19.8 seconds left.

On the ensuing possession, the MVNU defense forced Northwestern Ohio to use a lot of time before Feathers finally scored on a jumper to make it 74-71 with 1.4 seconds remaining.

Following a timeout, the Lady Cougars threw the inbounds pass long to Fiely, who held on as time expired to give MVNU the 74-71 victory and a spot in the AMC Tournament semifinals.

“I think I speak for the entire team when I say that we are mentally and physically spent after this huge win tonight on the road in the first round of the conference tournament,” said MVNU coach Steve Gregory, who was an assistant coach when the 1993-1994 team went 23-10 to first set the school record for most wins in a season. “It is great to advance and to also get a little redemption after dropping a tough game (80-63) at Northwestern Ohio back on January 17. Our kids were ready to play and excited about the opportunity. I am very proud of their effort and intensity throughout. They really earned this win tonight. It was not given to them. They fought hard for 40 minutes and beat a very good team.”

Himes, who did not play in the game in January, posted her 11th double-double of the season to lead the Lady Cougars as she finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Harkins (left), who is one of the leading candidates for the AMC Freshman of the Year award, added 19 points and seven rebounds, while Fiely contributed 12 points, eight assists, and five rebounds. Jokela tallied 11 points, and Brown recorded five points and eight rebounds. MVNU shot 41.0 percent from the field (25-for-61), 38.1 percent from three-point range (8-for-21), and 80.0 percent from the free throw line (16-for-20) including 13-for-15 in the second half (86.7 percent).

“Amanda led the way as she was dominant on the low block tonight,” said Gregory. “She also knocked down her free throws which was pretty important for us tonight. Alexis played huge on the perimeter. She knocked down some treys but also had the poise to take defenders on the dribble and bury some nice mid-range jumpers. Alexis and Amanda also both came up big on the galss for us tonight as well.”

“Kellie stepped up and drained some big perimeter shots,” Gregory continued. “Rachel really stepped up in the second half as our playmaker. Not only did she hit some timely big shots, she also did an awesome job of feeding the post and delivering big play after big play. Ashley gave us some clutch minutes off the bench tonight. She had numerous defensive rebounds and nailed a big-time leaning 12-footer late in the game to help preserve the win. Free throws down the stretch were also really a key tonight.”

Jackson led four Lady Racers in double figures with 13 points and seven steals, while Cliffton, Francis, and Blackburn each tallied 10 points apiece. Platfoot also led the team with 11 rebounds. Northwestern Ohio shot 37.5 percent from the field (27-for-72), 26.1 percent from three-point range (6-for-23), and 73.3 percent from the free throw line (11-for-15).

With the victory, the Lady Cougars earn a spot in the AMC Tournament semifinals on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. at No. 1 seed Walsh University (19-11). The Lady Cavaliers posted a 73-71 win on their home court back on January 3 to open conference play. In the other semifinal, No. 3 seed Daemen (N.Y.) College (22-7) will travel to No. 2 seed Ohio Dominican University on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. after beating No. 6 seed University of Rio Grande 73-66 in Tuesday’s other first round game. The AMC Tournament championship game will take place on Tuesday, March 3, at the highest remaining seed with the winner receiving an automatic berth into the NAIA Division II national tournament in Sioux City, Iowa.