Lady Cougars Fall Short in Second Half to Lancers
MOUNT VERNON, Ohio. – The Mount Vernon Nazarene University women's basketball team (6-18, 2-12 CL) competed at home in a Crossroads League battle against the Grace College Lancers (11-13, 3-11 CL) on Saturday, February 7 at Ariel Arena.
The Lady Cougars came out strong, scoring first and jumping out to a 10–4 lead in the opening seven minutes. Melodie Blubaugh caught fire early, going 3-for-3 from beyond the arc and scoring 13 points in the first quarter. MVNU extended its lead to 22–12 with three minutes remaining and closed the quarter ahead of the Lancers, 34–25.
Both teams struggled to score early in the second quarter until Grace converted its first basket at the 7:32 mark. Despite a brief push by the Lancers, MVNU maintained control and led 51–42 at halftime in the high-scoring affair.
Grace opened the second half strong as its full-court press began forcing MVNU turnovers, allowing it to slowly chip away at the deficit. The Lancers cut the lead to 56–52, forcing MVNU to call a timeout. With two minutes left in the third quarter, Grace tied the game at 68–68 and briefly took the lead before Kylie Leibacher knocked down a three-pointer to put the Lady Cougars back in front. MVNU held a narrow 75–72 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.
The two teams traded baskets early in the final period, but Grace surged ahead, taking an 87–81 lead with four minutes remaining. The Lancers pulled away late, building their largest lead of the game in the final seconds and handing the Lady Cougars a 98–87 loss at home.
Blubaugh recorded a career-high of 23 points, shooting 10-of-23 from the field while adding seven rebounds and three assists. Leibacher led all scorers with 26 points, going 6-for-7 from three-point range and 10-of-13 overall from the floor, while also grabbing seven rebounds. Lily Shepard contributed 16 points, and Abby Hardwick added 11 assists for the Lady Cougars. MVNU outrebounded Grace 51–43, but turnovers proved costly, as the Lancers forced 29 turnovers while committing just 10.
What's Next
The Lady Cougars will be traveling to Marion, Indiana to take on the Wildcats of Indiana Wesleyan University on Wednesday, February 11 at 5:00 p.m.
Mount Vernon Nazarene University is a private, 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 2,200 students from 36 states, 1 U.S. commonwealth and 41 foreign countries.
