Women’s Basketball Comes up Short at Home to SAU
MOUNT VERNON, Ohio. — The Mount Vernon Nazarene University women's basketball team (12-8, 4-6 CL) faced the Lady Cougars from Spring Arbor University (14-6, 7-3 CL) on Saturday, January 25, and would ultimately fall short in Ariel Arena by a final score of 75-80.
Serenitee Johnson came out strong for MVNU, scoring the team's first four points. The strong start continued for MVNU as Naomi Keib drained a three to give MVNU a 15-9 lead. MVNU continued to maintain its lead in the first quarter thanks to some great ball movement and found itself up 23-16 at the end of the opening 10 minutes.
Three-point shooting from Johnson, Shalen Guilliams, and Teresa Maggio, helped MVNU build a 32-16 second quarter lead. SAU responded to Mount Vernon's 9-0 run with a 10-0 run to close the gap. Despite being outscored 20-14, MVNU found itself up 37-36 at halftime.
In the third, SAU started to take control, roaring ahead to a 47-39 lead. With 4:03 left in the third, SAU held a 55-42 advantage. MVNU began to get back into the game, thanks to a tremendous effort from Megan Weakley. Weakley was aggressive, scoring all nine of her points in the last four minutes. She was 7-8 from the free throw line in the period and helped MVNU trail by just two after three.
The last 10 minutes were a tightly contested battle as both teams traded blows fighting for the win. Trailing 67-72 with 3:52 left, a 6-0 run capped off by a Johnson layup gave MVNU a one-point lead with 2:21 remaining. With 47 seconds left, SAU made a go-ahead layup. MVNU turned the ball over on the next possession, and SAU converted another lay-in to take a 76-73 lead with 41 seconds left. MVNU was unable to tie the game in the final seconds and fell 75-80.
Inside the Box Score
Maggio - 20 points (8-25 FG, 1-6 3PT, 3-3 FT), 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals
Johnson - 15 points (7-17 FG, 1-3 3PT), 10 rebounds, 5 blocks, 2 assists
Angela Roshak - 9 points (4-9 FG, 1-2 3PT), 8 rebounds, 1 assist
Weakley - 9 points (1-4 FG, 7-8 FT), 1 rebound
Keib - 8 points (3-6 FG, 2-4 3PT), 4 rebounds, 1 assist
What's Next
The Lady Cougars will be back at home to face the Trojans of Taylor University on Wednesday, January 29 at 5:00 p.m.
Mount Vernon Nazarene University is a private, four-year, intentionally Christian teaching university for traditional age students, graduate students, and working adults. With a 327-acre main campus in Mount Vernon, Ohio, MVNU emphasizes academic excellence, spiritual growth, and service to community and church. MVNU offers an affordable education both in-seat and online to nearly 2,100 students from 33 states and 26 foreign countries.
