Furious finish
Late surge fuels Falcon victory over Fredonia
| Box |

WOOSTER, Ohio – Notre Dame topped SUNY-Fredonia (NY) Saturday, 89-66, in a fast-paced game in which the Falcons outlasted a steady Blue Devils' press. NDC blasted Fredonia with a decisive 28-5 run to end the game after what had been a tight, physical game throughout. The tilt between Notre Dame and Fredonia was the leadoff game of the Nan Nichols Classic, hosted by the College of Wooster.

The Falcons were led by junior guard Molly Baker (Avon Lake, OH), who scored 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting, and junior guard Ashley Carney (Solon, OH) who notched 22 to go with six assists. Carney was 9-for-15 from the floor, including 4-for-5 from beyond the 3-point arc. NDC's 89-point performance runs their season record to 3-0 and their scoring average to 94.7 points in the early going. The Falcons average 76.1 points per game last season.

Notre Dame (3-0) surged late in a first half that included seven ties. After the 5:13 mark, NDC went on 12-4 run to take a 44-36 lead into halftime. The run was led by Baker and Carney, who combined for 24 first-half points. Many of the scores were set up off turnovers - the Blue Devils, playing in their first game of the season, committed 22 turnovers in the opening period and 39 for the game.

In the second half, the Falcons and Blue Devils traded baskets for eight minutes, with neither squad able to string together a run. Then, beginning at the 12-minute mark, Fredonia went on a 12-2 run to tie the score at 61-61, with 8:34 remaining.

Fifty seconds later, when senior guard Sarah Dia (Parma, OH) connected on a lay-up off an Ashley Carney pass, NDC began their late-game barrage that would include a mix of inside cuts and 3-pointers. The Blue & Gold scored 28 of the game's next 33 points to turn a 61-61 tie into a 23-point route when the final buzzer sounded.

Dia finished the game with 14 points and four assists. In all, five Falcons hit double digits in the scoring column. Junior forward Jamie Henry (Garfield Heights, OH) scored 10 points and notched nine rebounds and six assists.

"This was a good game," said NDC Head Coach Dick Deasy. "Both teams played hard and played pressure defense. I'm happy with the way our girls responded down the stretch."

Cheryl Kindzia scored 27 points to lead the Blue Devils. Fredonia shot 47.2 percent for the game. NDC shot 47.9 percent.

With their third victory in three games, NDC matches their start from a year ago.

The Falcons play Misericordia (PA) in day-two of the Wooster tournament on Sunday. Tip-off is slated for 3:00pm.