Lady Cougars Finish Season with 74-50 Third-Place Win


	Lady Cougar Basketball Game Recap Lady Cougars Finish Season with 74-50 Third-Place Win written by Dave Parsons, Sports Information Director Game Boxscore WINONA LAKE, Ind. (3-13-2010) - The Mount Vernon Nazarene University women’s basketball team used a strong second half to pull away for a 74-50 victory over North Greenville (S.C.) University on Saturday afternoon in the third-place game of the National Christian College Athletic Association National Tournament held at Grace (Ind.) College’s Orthopaedic Capital Center. The game was neck and neck through the first 15 minutes of the first half with neither team leading by more than four points. However, over the final five minutes of the opening half, the No. 1 seed Lady Cougars (21-10) were able to get a little breathing room and took a 35-30 lead to the locker room at the break. Junior center Amanda Himes *(left)* led MVNU with 16 points and seven rebounds in the first half, while sophomore guard Sierra Fletcher, who nailed four three-pointers in the first half, had 12 points and five assists at the break. The Lady Cougars also held a 17-11 rebounding advantage to help offset 13 first-half turnovers. MVNU got off to a 12-2 run to start the second half as junior guard Lauren Johnson hit a pair of three-pointers to help fuel the surge as the Lady Cougars built a 47-32 advantage with 15 minutes remaining in the contest. MVNU added a 25-8 run to put the game out of reach with four minutes left, and the Lady Cougars cruised to the convincing 74-50 victory to earn third place. "I'm very pleased with ending our season with a win,” said MVNU coach Steve Gregory. "Our kids played extremely hard and entered the break with a five-point cushion. The second half was a dominant half on both ends of the floor as we doubled (North Greenville) up in points.” "It’s very satisfying to beat an NCAA Division II program, even more so in a dominant fashion,” Gregory continued. "The players were very hyped and ready to go when we met this morning for devotionals and scouting report. When they hit the floor, they went right to work. (North Greenville) battled hard and led most of the first half. Then, Sierra went off and canned a few deep treys that propelled us into the lead.” "Amanda also had a dominant first half as she tallied yet another double-double,” added Gregory. "She continued her dominance in the second half by leading the team to a big lead. Sierra was on her game and made some spectacular passes and some hard-to-believe steals. She is an energizer bunny when she is out on the floor. Lauren stepped up and canned a pair of treys and had a few slick moves. It was nice to be in a comfortable position where everyone could experience the thrill of playing in a national tournament game.” The dynamic duo of Fletcher and Himes used their inside-outside combination to near perfection with a pair of double-doubles as Fletcher finished with 25 points and 10 assists and Himes added 22 points and 15 rebounds for her 21st double-double of the season. Johnson also added 12 points and was 3-for-3 from three-point range. Nikki Wood, Jacquette Golden, and Krisceda Cotton each had eight points to lead North Greenville, while Christina Carlis added six points and a team-high nine rebounds. "It was a great way to wrap up the season and to use it as a springboard for next season,” said Gregory of the win. "Our university would be very proud of the way our kids represented it throughout the week and throughout the season as a whole. I am very proud of the team’s accomplishments this season. Graduating six players off of last year's team and coming right back and winning 21 games is very satisfying.” "John Wooden, the legendary basketball coach, said that ‘Success is not a destination, but a journey’,” said Gregory. "He was indeed correct as we wrap up a very successful year of Lady Cougar basketball that led us on an amazing journey. Our kids have shown amazing tenacity through trying times this season. They have stayed centered on what is really important and that begins and ends with their faith. God has taken us on a wonderful journey filled with highs and lows that we won't soon forget. It’s hard to fully appreciate the successes without the failures. I am blessed to be coaching such great young women of character at MVNU!”

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