Shining in the sun
Blue & Gold earn 73-55 win in Florida invite
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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Notre Dame defeated Dana (NE) Tuesday in day-one of the Northwood Florida Classic. The Falcons displayed solid defense down the stretch in what was a well-played game to eventually earn a 73-55 victory. The invitational is being hosted by Northwood University in West Palm Beach, Fla.; NDC will meet Knox (IL) on Wednesday to close out their two-game trip to the Sunshine State.

The win for Notre Dame (8-1) comes in their first game off a 13-day layoff. NDC last played on Dec. 4 (77-67 victory over Northwestern Ohio).

Juniors guards Ashley Carney (Solon, OH) and Molly Baker (Avon Lake, OH) led NDC with 24 and 22 points, respectively, in a game in which the Falcons connected for 50.0 percent (26-for-52) from the floor.

The Falcons and Vikings played a see-saw first half with neither squad able to take control of the action for more than a minute or two. Notre Dame took a 32-30 lead into their locker room after a first half that included six ties and eight lead changes.

In the second half, Dana (4-10) briefly took the lead, 33-32, at 18:42. NDC answered, however, with a 25-9 run over the next nine-and-a-half minutes. The Falcons' surge was fueled by defense, as several players stepped up with timely blocked shots and steals. For the game, Notre Dame had six blocks and 14 steals. Freshman center Yvette Hunter (Jamestown, NY) had an NDC-season-high four blocks, while Carney collected six steals.

The NDC run gave the Falcons a 57-42 advantage by the nine-minute mark. The Blue & Gold would hold a double-digit advantage the rest of the way, hitting free throws and shooting 58.3 percent (14-for-24) from the field in the half.

"That's a good club," said NDC Head Coach Dick Deasy, of the Dana Vikings. "We worked hard, especially on defense, to come up a quality win."

The Vikings were led by Amanda Bryant (Jr/Treynor, IA), who scored 26 points off the bench. Dana hit just seven field goals in the second half, as they shot 29.2% (7-for-24). The Vikings shot 37.7 percent (20-for-53) for the game; that marks the fifth time in nine games that NDC has held their opponents to under 40 percent from the field. Dana's loss marked their seventh straight.

Carney added seven assists to her performance for Notre Dame. She also was tagged with nine turnovers, playing the point for the Falcons. For the game, the junior guard was 7-of-14 from the floor and 10-of-11 from the foul line. Carney now has 50 points over her last two games, and her 18.8 points-per-game scoring average ranks second in the American Mideast Conference (AMC).

Baker scored 22 and added five rebounds. Hunter added nine and six.

Notre Dame will play Knox College (IL) in day two of the Northwood Florida Classic on Wednesday. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:00pm.


Notes from the Nest...

Double-digit duty: With Tuesday's 18-point victory, NDC has now won six games by 10 or more points. The Falcons are 6-1 in games decided by 10-plus.

Road warriors: The Falcons have traveled well this season - NDC is 5-0 away from home (2-0 away, 3-0 neutral). The NDC Women have won those five games by an average of 16.2 points.

Hot shots: The Falcons ranked sixth in the nation in field goal percentage coming into their game against Dana. Through nine games, NDC is now shooting 47.6 percent (273-for-574). Yvette Hunter has connected on 66.1 percent of her 59 attempts from the floor to lead the team. Molly Baker is shooting 54.5 percent (55-for-101).