The Lady Cougars (5-1, 1-1 AMC) got off to a rough start offensively as MVNU committed seven turnovers and went just 2-for-12 from the field over the first eight and a half minutes as the visiting Falcons (5-2, 2-1 AMC) soared out to an early 13-5 lead.

Then, a three-pointer by junior wing Kelli Pollock at the 11:06 mark started a 24-5 run that gave the Lady Cougars a 29-18 lead with 1:26 left before the half. Sophomore guard Sierra Fletcher scored eight points and junior post Amanda Himes (left) added six points and eight rebounds as MVNU finished the half with a 29-21 advantage.

The Lady Cougars shot just 31.3 percent from the field in the first half (10-for-32), but MVNU went 5-for-12 from three-point range (41.7 percent) and 4-for-5 at the free throw line (80 percent) and held a 24-20 rebounding advantage. Meanwhile, Notre Dame shot only 25.9 percent from the field (7-for-27) and missed all seven of its three-point attempts. The Falcons were 7-for-9 at the free throw line (77.8 percent).

Notre Dame pulled within 30-27 over the first four minutes of the second half as the Lady Cougars managed just a free throw by Fletcher during that span.

Then, MVNU caught fire and ran off eight straight points as Fletcher hit a three-pointer and a jumper, Himes nailed a pair of free throws, and freshman guard Melissa Eickholt made a free throw to give the Lady Cougars a 38-27 advantage with 13:34 to play.

The Falcons closed the gap to 38-31 on a jumper by Ashley Wallace at the 11:06 mark, but that would be as close as they would get the rest of the way as MVNU closed the game on a 25-22 run to post the 63-53 victory. The Lady Cougars led by as much as 16 points before settling for the 10-point win.

Fletcher led MVNU with 23 points, six assists, and four steals, while Himes posted a double-double with 14 points and a game-high 21 rebounds as the duo accounted for over half the team’s points. Sophomore forward Alexis Harkins also grabbed eight rebounds, and freshman forward Emily Steveley tossed in six points off the bench. The Lady Cougars shot 29.7 percent from the field overall (19-for-64), but they were 9-for-22 from three-point range (40.9 percent) and 16-for-19 at the free throw line (84.2 percent). MVNU also held a 53-43 rebounding advantage for the game.

Lauren Macer was the lone Notre Dame player to reach double figures as she finished with 12 points, while Yvette Hunter led the Falcons with 10 rebounds. Notre Dame shot just 28.6 percent from the field (18-for-63) and went 0-for-16 from three-point range. The Falcons also shot 70.8 percent from the free throw line (17-for-24).

"I am very pleased to get a win at home over a good team like Notre Dame who was previously undefeated in conference play,” said MVNU coach Steve Gregory. "We struggled in many different areas tonight like shooting and turnovers, but fortunately we were able to offset those deficiencies by knocking down nine threes and grabbing 18 offensive rebounds. We were also fortunate that Notre Dame struggled with their perimeter shooting.”

"Sierra stepped up and was very productive as she hit mid-range jumpers, three-pointers, and knocked down her free throws,” Gregory added. "She also does a great job of finding open teammates and delivering the ball to them in a timely manner as well as picking up steals. Amanda struggled offensively to find her shooting rhythm, but she did an outstanding job on the glass accounting for 21 rebounds. Emily also continues to give us good energy off the bench, and Melissa and Lauren (Johnson) both took momentum-changing charges tonight.”

The Lady Cougars will now be off for a week as the players focus on final exams. MVNU will return to action next Saturday at 1:00 p.m. when the team travels to Cincinnati Christian University for a non-conference game.