Lady Cougars Take No. 1 Indiana Wesleyan to the Wire


	Lady Cougar Basketball Game Recap Lady Cougars Take No. 1 Indiana Wesleyan to the Wire written by Dave Parsons, Sports Information Director Game Boxscore MARION, Ind. (12-3-2011) - The Mount Vernon Nazarene University women's basketball team rallied from an 11-point first-half deficit and had a shot at a potential game-winning 3-point attempt at the buzzer as the Lady Cougars took NAIA Division II No. 1 Indiana Wesleyan University to the wire before falling 67-65 in Mid-Central College Conference action in Luckey Arena on Saturday afternoon. The host Lady Wildcats (9-0, 3-0 MCC) wasted no time in taking the lead as MVNU (6-2, 1-2 MCC) found itself trailing 30-19 with 5:45 left in the half. At that point, senior forward Alexis Harkins scored seven straight points, and senior guard Sierra Fletcher and senior post Whitney Levering *(left)* added a basket each as the Lady Cougars pulled within 31-30 before going to the locker room down 33-30. Levering and Harkins paced MVNU with nine first-half points each, while Fletcher added six points. The Lady Cougars shot 38.7 percent from the field (12-for-31), 50 percent from 3-point range (4-for-8), and 40 percent at the free throw line (2-for-5). Ashley Brooks led Indiana Wesleyan with 10 first-half points, while Krystal Stoneking contributed seven points and nine rebounds. The Lady Wildcats shot 40.7 percent from the field (11-for-27), 30.8 percent from 3-point range (4-for-13), and 58.3 percent from the free throw line. Indiana Wesleyan, which had won every previous game by at least 14 points including a 41-point dismantling of No. 20 Grace (Ind.) College on Wednesday night and had even posted a nine-point exhibition win at NCAA Division I Northern Illinois University this season, extended its lead back to 40-32 to open the second half. However, someone forgot to tell MVNU that the Lady Cougars were just supposed to roll over for their highly-ranked opponent as MVNU used a 16-6 surge to take its first lead of the game at 48-46 on a 3-pointer by Levering with 11:04 to play. The Lady Cougars built as much as a 53-49 advantage with 7:28 remaining, and MVNU still led 60-59 after a 3-pointer by senior guard Ashley Jessie with 2:26 left. The Lady Wildcats regained the lead 61-60 on a jumper by Stephanie Burtch with 1:40 still to play after Indiana Wesleyan got four shot attempts on the possession thanks to three offensive rebounds. The Lady Wildcats' lead grew to four points on two occasions including 66-62 with 24 seconds to go. Fletcher nailed a 3-pointer to close the gap to 66-65 with six seconds left. After Claire Freeman split a pair of free throws for Indiana Wesleyan to make it 67-65 with 4.7 seconds remaining, Fletcher got a long 3-point attempt off just ahead of the buzzer, but it was off the mark as the Lady Cougars fell 67-65. Levering led MVNU with 19 points and eight rebounds, while Harkins and Fletcher added 15 and 13 points respectively. The Lady Cougars played the game without starting guard Melissa Eickholt, who was sick, MVNU shot 43.1 percent from the field (25-for-58), 47.1 percent from 3-point range (8-for-17), and 58.3 percent from the free throw line (7-for-12). Stoneking led four players in double figures with 15 points and 21 rebounds for Indiana Wesleyan. Freeman (14 points), Brooks (12 points), and Burtch (10 points) also contributed to the scoring for the Lady Wildcats, who shot 32.2 percent from the field (19-for-59), 25 percent from 3-point range (4-for-16), and 67.6 percent from the free throw line (25-for-37). MVNU was whistled for 27 fouls in the game compared to just 15 for Indiana Wesleyan, and the Lady Wildcats shot three times the number of free throws (37-12). Indiana Wesleyan also had a 46-37 rebounding advantage that included 20 offensive boards. "What an incredible game," said MVNU coach Jason Foster. "It was physical, it was hard-fought, and it was a lot of fun to be a part of. The girls took full advantage of the opportunity of playing the No. 1 team in the nation. This game was a true team effort." "We got great contributions from everyone," Foster continued. "From Rachel (Peelman) stepping into the starting lineup because Melissa got sick to Ashley, Amy (Daniels), and Courtney (Swart) stepping in when Sierra and Whitney picked up their fourth fouls. We had the opportunity to see how much we can really rely on the depth of the bench and it kept us in the game. These kids just don't quit. They work hard and keep fighting. This was a great game to be a part of and I know the Lady Cougars can't wait to get after it again." With final exams slated for next week, MVNU will not play again until next Saturday when the Lady Cougars will host Bluefield (Va.) College in a non-conference game that will tip off at 2 p.m.

Site Map