Good-in Nichols
NDC wins title game in Wooster tourney

WOOSTER, Ohio – Notre Dame defeated Misercordia (PA) Sunday, 79-71, to remain unbeaten on the season and earn the championship title of the Nan Nichols Tournament. The Falcons' Molly Baker (Jr/Avon Lake, OH) was named the MVP of the two-day tournament, which was hosted by the College of Wooster.

Notre Dame (4-0) defeated SUNY-Fredonia (0-1) on Saturday, 89-66, to earn their berth in the Nan Nichols title game. With their weekend sweep, NDC starts a season 4-0 for the first time in program history. The Blue & Gold won three of their first four contests a year ago, when the team posted a 21-10 overall record in winning 20 or more games for a third straight year.

The Falcons jumped out to an early lead Sunday against Misercordia (1-1). NDC built a 12-point lead by the 13-minute mark in the first frame behind solid all-around play from all five starters. The Cougars dented the Notre Dame lead late in the first, and the Falcons took a 35-31 lead into halftime.

Misercordia's Ericka Morrison (Sr/Avon Lake, OH) tied the game with a jumper in the early moments of the second frame, at 17:34. Morrison would lead the Cougars for the game with a 22-point, 12-rebound afternoon. That would be the only tie score of the game, however.

Over the next seven-and-a-half minutes, Notre Dame went on a 23-11 run. That built a double-digit advantage on the scoreboard which the Falcons were able to maintain for most of the rest of the game.

Baker, who scored 25 on Fredonia Saturday, found the bottom of the net for 22 more against MU on Sunday. The junior forward also collected a game-high 13 rebounds. On the defensive end, Baker blocked two shots and came away with four steals. For her efforts over the weekend, she was awarded the Tournament MVP award.

"Molly was a leader out there," said Head Coach Dick Deasy, whose Falcons won the Nan Nichols Tournament for the first time. "She played well in all facets of the game. Really, our whole team came out and played the last two days the way we like to play, getting up and down the floor and playing a pressure defense."

On Sunday, for a second straight day, five Falcons scored in double digits. Junior guard Ashley Carney (Solon, OH) scored 17 points. She was named to the Nan Nichols All-Tournament Team. Senior guard Sarah Dia (Parma, OH) dotted the box score with 10 points, six rebounds, five assists, and five steals. The NDC veteran point guard was named the Defensive MVP of the tournament for her performance of the weekend.

Junior forward Jamie Henry (Garfield Heights, OH) scored 15 points in just 20 minutes of play.

For the game, Notre Dame shot 48.4 percent (31-for-64) to Misercordia's 46.7 percent (28-for-60). NDC forced 15 turnovers, while committing just 10 of their own.

The win sends the NDC Women's squad into a five-day layoff. The Falcons will lace up for their next game Saturday, Nov. 24, when they visit Latrobe, Penn., to take on St. Vincent. Tip-off in the holiday weekend tilt is slated for 6:00pm.

Notes from the Nest...

Molly Baker, basket maker : Newcomer Molly Baker is off to an excellent start in her NDC career. The junior transfer from Ohio Wesleyan is averaging 16.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.8 steals per game. Baker leads the Falcons in shooting percentage from the field (60.0 percent, 27-for-45) and from 3-point range (50.0, 9-for-18). The Falcons, as a team, are shooting 52.1 percent through four games.

Women of steal: Notre Dame notched 13 steals in their game Sunday. The Falcons had 26 steals the day before against Fredonia. NDC has 57 steals through four games and is forcing foes into 22.5 turnovers per contest. Baker (15 steals) and Sarah Dia (12) lead the Falcons. Dia has now picked up 205 steals in her collegiate career (fourth all-time, NDC). She needs 12 more to move into second place in NDC history.

High-octane offense: Through the season's first two weeks, Notre Dame leads the 16-team American Mideast Conference in scoring, at 90.8 points per game. Both Carney and Baker rank in the league's top-six among individual scorers. Carney's 19.0 points per game lead the team.