MVNU freshman forward Alexis Harkins and Walsh’s Kristi Yoder traded baskets to start the game with the score knotted at 2-2. Then, the visiting Lady Cougars (24-7) rattled off eight straight points to move in front 10-2 and never looked back. Sophomore post Amanda Himes tossed in four points, while Harkins and sophomore guard Lauren Johnson (left) added two points apiece.

With MVNU holding an 18-14 advantage at the 11:47 mark, the Lady Cougars got two three-pointers from Harkins and a trey each by Johnson and senior guard Rachel Fiely as MVNU extended its lead to 30-16 with 6:41 left in the half.

Following a basket by the Lady Cavaliers (19-12), who received votes in the latest NAIA Division II poll and were in the Top 25 last week before dropping two straight, the Lady Cougars closed the half on a 16-7 run to take a seemingly comfortable 46-25 lead to the locker room at the break.

MVNU’s balanced first-half attack had four players in double figures led by Harkins with 12 points, while Johnson, Fiely, and Himes added 10 points apiece with Fiely dishing out seven assists and Himes grabbing eight rebounds. The Lady Cougars shot a blistering 56.3 percent from the field (18-for-32), 50.0 percent from three-point range (6-for-12), and 66.7 percent from the free throw line (4-for-6). MVNU also posted a 23-14 rebounding advantage in the first half.

Walsh was led by Katie Berry with 11 points in the first half, while Cara Bedard was next with four points. The Lady Cavaliers shot 34.4 percent from the field (11-for-32), 25.0 percent from three-point range (1-for-4), and 66.7 percent from the free throw line (2-for-3).

The Lady Cougars continued their strong play to start the second half as MVNU’s lead grew to as much as 56-31 on a three-pointer by Johnson at the 14:53 mark.

However, it was following that basket that Walsh began to slowly chip away at the lead as the Lady Cougars committed five turnovers and attempted just one field goal over the next 5:23 as the Lady Cavaliers pulled within 61-50 with 9:30 still on the clock. Jessie Miller fueled the comeback with seven points, while Leah Seaman added five points.

MVNU was able to maintain a double-digit lead over the next three minutes as Johnson, Himes (right), and senior wing Bethany Hughes each went 2-for-2 at the free throw line and Johnson nailed her fourth three-pointer of the game to put the Lady Cougars in front 70-56 with 6:41 to go.

MVNU’s lead grew back to as much as 80-61 on a jumper by Fiely with 2:14 remaining, and Fiely went 4-for-4 at the free throw line the rest of the way as the Lady Cougars posted the convincing 84-70 victory to advance to the AMC Tournament championship game for the first time in school history.

“This was a great win for our team and our program,” said MVNU coach Steve Gregory. “I am very proud of our team and in awe of their competitive spirit. They came out hungry and jumped all over Walsh early on and built a 21-point lead by the half. The second half was more about converting free throws more than anything else. (Walsh) was much more physical defensively and we weathered the storm and walked away with a 14-point win on the road against the top seed in the tournament.”

“Rachel and Amanda were both outstanding today,” Gregory continued. “Amanda dominated in the middle, while Rachel was assertive when she needed to be. Lauren got off to a great start and made several big plays for us. Alexis also had another big game for us.”

Himes led the balanced attack for MVNU with game-highs of 22 points and 12 rebounds, while Fiely (left) added 19 points, a game-high 10 assists, and six rebounds. Johnson finished with 19 points and four steals, and Harkins tallied 18 points and nine rebounds. The Lady Cougars shot 48.2 percent from the field (27-for-56), 42.1 percent from three-point range (8-for-19), and 73.3 percent from the free throw line (22-for-30). MVNU also out-rebounded Walsh 40-33.

The Lady Cavaliers were led by Berry, who scored 19 points and dished out five assists before fouling out with 23.6 seconds to go. Miller added 14 points and four steals. Seaman also chipped in with 12 points and four assists, and Kristi Yoder grabbed a team-high six rebounds. Walsh shot 42.6 percent from the field (29-for-68), 38.5 percent from three-point range (5-for-13), and 58.3 percent from the free throw line (7-for-12).

The Lady Cougars will now travel to Ohio Dominican University for the AMC Tournament championship game on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. The No. 2 seed Lady Panthers (18-11) edged No. 3 seed Daemen (N.Y.) College 69-68 in Saturday’s other semifinal game. MVNU and Ohio Dominican split the regular-season series with each team winning a close game at home.