Lady Cougars Pull Away for 81-56 Win at Ohio State-Newark


	Lady Cougar Basketball Game Recap Lady Cougars Pull Away for 81-56 Win at Ohio State-Newark written by Dave Parsons, Sports Information Director Game Boxscore NEWARK, Ohio (1-14-2010) - The Mount Vernon Nazarene University women’s basketball team attempted a school-record 92 shots from the field, grabbed 62 rebounds, and forced 24 turnovers as the Lady Cougars turned a 10-point halftime lead into an 81-56 non-conference road win at Ohio State University-Newark on Thursday night. Junior post Amanda Himes (left) led MVNU (9-4) with 12 points and seven rebounds in the first half, while Kelli Pollock and Sierra Fletcher added five points each. The Lady Cougars shot 37.5 percent from the field (15-for-40), 18.2 percent from three-point range (2-for-11), and 25 percent at the free throw line (1-for-4). Tia Payne and Kaylee Walker led the Lady Titans (9-7) with five points apiece with Lauren Valentine grabbing seven rebounds. Ohio State-Newark shot just 24.2 percent from the field (8-for-33), 25 percent from three-point range (2-for-8), and 100 percent at the free throw line (5-for-5). The Lady Titans also committed 15 turnovers in the first half alone. After taking advantage of Ohio State-Newark inside in the first half, the trend continued in the second half as the Lady Cougars finished with a 42-20 advantage in points in the paint for the game. MVNU also led 19-2 in fastbreak points. The Lady Cougars led by as much as 31 points on two occasions in the second half before settling for the 81-56 victory. "This was a good win on the road tonight,” said MVNU coach Steve Gregory. "We were a little sluggish coming out of the gate, but we settled into a good rhythm. Our defense was pretty solid all night and forced many turnovers which led directly to transition opportunities. We didn’t convert those opportunities efficiently in the first half, but we really did a good job of making the most of those chances in the second half.” Himes finished with 19 points and 18 rebounds to lead MVNU, while junior guard Lauren Johnson added 13 points and four assists. Sophomore wing Alexis Harkins also reached double figures with 10 points, and Pollock tossed in nine points off the bench. Fletcher also filled out the stat sheet with seven points, seven steals, six assists, and five rebounds. The Lady Cougars shot 37 percent from the field for the game (34-for-92), 25.9 percent from three-point range (7-for-27), and 54.5 percent from the free throw line (6-for-11). Previously, MVNU had attempted 89 field goals in a game twice. The Lady Cougars also held a 62-52 rebounding advantage in the game and won the turnover battle by forcing 24 to just 13 that they committed. "Amanda led with us with her offense and her rebounding tonight,” said Gregory. "Lauren came alive in the second half and got us on a good run to start the final stanza. Alexis was aggressive on the offensive end as was Kelli. It was great to see the other kids get in and contribute tonight as well.” Walker paced the Lady Titans with a game-high 26 points, while Valentine added seven points and 14 rebounds. Ohio State-Newark shot 26.9 percent from the field (18-for-67), 23.5 percent from three-point range (4-for-17), and 72.7 percent at the free throw line (16-for-22). MVNU will return to action on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. when the Lady Cougars will travel to Ursuline College for an American Mideast Conference game.

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