The game went back and forth at the start with six lead changes and three ties before a basket by senior guard Jessica Lynn gave MVNU a 15-14 advantage midway through the first 20 minutes of action.

Another basket by Lynn and then 10 quick points from sophomore center Amanda Himes (left) and a jumper by freshman forward Alexis Harkins fueled the Lady Cougars on a 16-4 run that helped MVNU open up a 29-18 cushion with just under five minutes left before the break.

After Trinity International (3-6) pulled within 32-24, senior guard Rachel Fiely nailed a three-pointer and four free throws to close the half as the Lady Cougars took a 39-26 lead to the locker room at the break.

Himes led MVNU with 17 points in the first half on 8-of-9 shooting from the field. Harkins added eight points, while Fiely scored all seven of her first-half points in the final three minutes. The Lady Cougars shot 48.5 percent from the field (16-for-33), 16.7 percent from three-point range (2-for-12), and 83.3 percent from the free throw line (5-for-6).

Jonkea Stewart-Butler and Melanie Duplessis both scored six first-half points to lead the Lady Trojans, while Stewart-Butler and Monique DeLoatch each grabbed five rebounds. Trinity International shot 40.6 percent from the field (13-for-32) and missed all eight of its three-point shots. The Lady Trojans did not attempt a first-half free throw.

With MVNU maintaining a 49-34 cushion five minutes into the second half, the Lady Cougars went on a 15-1 run to take command of the game as the lead grew to 64-35 as sophomore guard Lauren Johnson fueled the surge with seven points.

From there, MVNU was able to maintain a comfortable margin with the lead expanding to as much as 30 points on two occasions before ending with the final score of 75-49.

“This was another nice win for us,” said MVNU coach Steve Gregory. “Amanda was a force inside today and just did a tremendous job. We also got great production from Rachel, Lauren, Alexis, and Kellie. Jessica also came off the bench and provided a big spark for us. This was a good team victory.”

“We played well in the first half and continue to really turn things up in the second half,” Gregory added, referring to the fact that in seven games this year the Lady Cougars are out-scoring their opponents by an average of 13 points in the second half alone. “We shot the ball really well from the floor in the second half and did a great job of posting the victory. We also appreciate all the family members who were able to make this trip. This was a good weekend for our team.”

Himes, who earned Most Valuable Player honors, finished with 28 points to match her career high for the second straight night as she went 12-for-15 from the floor and also grabbed seven rebounds. Johnson finished with 14 points, while Fiely added 11 points and six assists in joining Himes on the All-Tournament Team. Harkins contributed 10 points and seven rebounds, and Jokela (right) grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds to go with four points. MVNU shot 51.7 percent from the field (30-for-58), 18.8 percent from three-point range (3-for-16), and 75.0 percent from the free throw line (12-for-16). The Lady Cougars also out-rebounded Trinity International 45-29 for the game.

Stewart-Butler led the Lady Trojans with 19 points and seven rebounds, while Duplessis added 10 points. Reanna Perera also tossed in eight points. Trinity International shot 33.3 percent from the field (21-for-63), 6.7 percent from three-point range (1-for-15), and 75.0 percent from the free throw line (6-for-8).

MVNU will return to action on Tuesday when the Lady Cougars will host Wilberforce University in a non-conference game at 5:30 p.m. in the Physical Education Center.