Lady Cougars Pull out Hard-Fought 67-64 Win over Albion


	Lady Cougar Basketball Game Recap Lady Cougars Pull out Hard-Fought 67-64 Win over Albion written by Dave Parsons, Sports Information Director Game Boxscore DEFIANCE, Ohio (12-19-2009) - The Mount Vernon Nazarene University women’s basketball team pulled out a 67-64 win over Albion (Mich.) College in the consolation game of the Defiance College Tournament on Saturday afternoon. The first half was a back and forth affair that featured three ties and 14 lead changes as neither team could was able to build more than a four-point lead over the first 20 minutes. With the Britons (4-5) holding a 25-21 lead with 7:12 left in the first half, MVNU (7-2) closed the half on a 16-8 run to take a 37-33 lead at the break. Sophomore guard Sierra Fletcher and sophomore wing Alexis Harkins each scored four points, while junior post Amanda Himes (left) and freshman forward Emily Steveley added three points apiece during the surge. Harkins led the Lady Cougars with eight first-half points, while Fletcher, Himes, and Steveley added seven points each to the balanced attack. MVNU shot 40 percent from the field (14-for-35), 20 percent from three-point range (2-for-10), and 70 percent from the free throw line (7-for-10). The Lady Cougars also forced 16 turnovers in the first 20 minutes and committed just three miscues themselves. Melissa Shaw led Albion with eight points, and Keigan Edwards tossed in six points. The Britons shot 43.3 percent from the field (13-for-30), a blistering 75 percent from three-point range (6-for-8), and 50 percent from the free throw line (1-for-2). Albion also held a 26-14 rebounding advantage. A pair of free throws by Himes and a three-point play by Harkins helped MVNU extend its lead to 42-35 just two and a half minutes into the second half. After a three-minute scoring drought by both teams, the Britons scored seven straight points to knot the score at 42-42 with 13:08 remaining. Four straight points by junior forward Kellie Jokela gave the Lady Cougars a 46-42 lead with 12:03 to go, but Albion rattled off seven straight points to take a 49-46 advantage with 9:43 still on the clock. The see-saw contest continued as MVNU went on a 24-9 run to build a seemingly commanding 66-55 lead with 4:09 to go as Himes scored 10 points during the stretch and Fletcher capped the run with a pair of three-pointers. With the Lady Cougars holding a 67-57 lead with 3:23 to go, the Britons closed the gap to within 67-64 with 1:16 left. The two teams traded turnovers and after a pair of misses by MVNU, Albion missed a potential game-tying three-pointer as the Lady Cougars held on for the hard-fought win. "The kids came out focused and ready to go today,” said MVNU coach Steve Gregory. "(Albion) is a very solid team with a lot of size. They outrebounded us, but we won the statistical battles in other important areas including forcing them into 30 turnovers, grabbing 17 steals, free throws attempted and made, and most importantly total points.” "This was a very physical game and our kids stepped up and met the challenge,” Gregory continued. "Last night, we sort of wilted in the physical battle, whereas tonight our kids were ready to do battle for 40 minutes today. Our defense was huge for us. We desperately needed to break Albion’s rhythm and our trapping defense was just what we needed. We played about 10 minutes of the second half trapping virtually the whole time. We forced them to play defensively and that helped us build a small cushion.” Himes, who was named to the All-Tournament Team, led the Lady Cougars with 20 points and seven rebounds, while Harkins finished with 14 points on 5-for-7 shooting from the field. Fletcher also added 13 points, and Steveley tallied seven points. MVNU shot 37.9 percent from the field (22-for-58), 26.3 percent from three-point range (5-for-19), and 78.3 percent from the free throw line (18-for-23). The Lady Cougars recorded 17 steals in forcing Albion into 30 turnovers. "Amanda came up big in the second half on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor,” said Gregory. "She drained some huge free throws during the stretch run that made a big difference. Alexis also stepped up and contributed mightily today. We desperately needed her points, rebounds, and all-around play. She didn’t disappoint.” "Sierra also had a big game again,” Gregory added. "She scored when she needed to, distributed to her teammates, and made several key steals. She also stepped up when we needed it late by draining two huge threes. She plays inspired basketball and our team benefits from her inspired play.” Shaw led the Britons with 15 points and seven rebounds, and Edwards added 14 points. Courtney Teske also tossed in nine points. Albion shot 46.3 percent from the field (25-for-54), 50 percent from three-point range (10-for-20), and 80 percent from the free throw line (4-for-5). The Britons also held a commanding 42-25 rebounding advantage. The Lady Cougars will now be off for 16 days for the holidays before returning to action on January 5 with an American Mideast Conference game at home against Wilberforce University at 5:30 p.m.

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