Cold Shooting Costs Lady Cougars in Loss at No. 23 Walsh


	Lady Cougar Basketball Game Recap Cold Shooting Costs Lady Cougars in Loss at No. 23 Walsh written by Dave Parsons, Sports Information Director Game Boxscore NORTH CANTON, Ohio (2-16-2010) - The Mount Vernon Nazarene University women’s basketball team shot just 28.8 percent from the field while NAIA Division II No. 23 Walsh University nailed 10 three-pointers and connected at a 47 percent clip for the game as the Lady Cavaliers prevailed 81-53 in American Mideast Conference action in Alumni Arena on Tuesday night. The Lady Cougars (17-7, 10-6 AMC) jumped out to an 8-6 lead to start the game as sophomore guard Sierra Fletcher hit a pair of three-pointers and junior post Amanda Himes (left) added a basket less than three minutes into the game. However, an 18-1 run over the next three and a half minutes gave Walsh (21-8, 14-4 AMC) a 24-9 lead by the 13:50 mark. Jessie Miller led the Lady Cavaliers’ surge with 14 points including a trio of treys and a three-point play. A three-pointer by sophomore wing Alexis Harkins and another by Fletcher closed the gap to 25-17 with 12:02 left in the half. MVNU still trailed just 27-19 with 9:51 to go until the break. However, Walsh broke the game wide open with a 23-7 run to close the half as the Lady Cavaliers went to the locker room at the break with a commanding 50-26 lead. Fletcher led the Lady Cougars with 10 points in the first half including a trio of three-pointers. Himes added six points. MVNU turned the ball over 11 times and shot just 25.7 percent from the field (9-for-35), 40 percent from three-point range (4-for-10), and 66.7 percent from the free throw line (4-for-6). Miller paced Walsh with 19 points in the first half including going 4-for-6 from three-point range. Katie Berry also added seven points, and the Lady Cavaliers had a commanding 29-17 rebounding advantage to go along with 51.3 percent shooting from the field (20-for-39), 50 percent from three-point range (5-for-10), and 83.3 percent from the free throw line (5-for-6). The Lady Cougars began to whittle away at the 24-point halftime lead over the first 11 minutes of the second half, and MVNU pulled within 61-45 on a layup by Himes with 8:42 remaining in the game. However, that would be as close as the Lady Cougars would get the rest of the way as MVNU went just 2-for-13 from the field the rest of the way to thwart any further comeback attempt as Walsh prevailed 81-53. "Walsh began the game shooting the ball very well and playing very aggressive,” said MVNU coach Steve Gregory. "We struggled to get acclimated and played far too soft. We turned the ball over far too much and found ourselves in a pretty big hole by halftime. We also shot the ball poorly which made matters worse. (Walsh) came out on fire, draining perimeter shots, and the shots they missed turned into offensive rebounds and stick back opportunities.” "We showed some life in the second half and played a little better defensively,” Gregory added. "Unfortunately, we didn’t shoot the ball a whole lot better and could never put a big dent in that lead.” Himes finished with a double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Lady Cougars, while Fletcher added 15 points and five rebounds. Junior wing Kelli Pollock also tossed in seven points. MVNU shot just 28.8 percent from the field (19-for-66), 38.9 percent from three-point range (7-for-18), and 66.7 percent from the free throw line (8-for-12). Miller poured in a game-high 33 points to lead the Lady Cavaliers as she went 8-for-11 from three-point range. Berry added 10 points, seven rebounds, and six assists, and Kayla Kovach scored nine points. Walsh shot 47 percent from the field (31-for-66), 52.6 percent from three-point range (10-for-19), and 75 percent from the free throw line (9-for-12). The Lady Cavaliers also out-rebounded MVNU 49-36. The Lady Cougars will continue their four-game week and the start of three games in a row with a 7:00 p.m. AMC game at Wilberforce University on Thursday night. "It doesn’t get any easier as we have three more games in the next four days with a playoff berth in the AMC Tournament on the line,” said Gregory.

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