Lakers Fall to #6 Notre Dame in Season Opener
South Bend, IN - The Mercyhurst Women's Basketball team traveled to #6 Notre Dame this evening to begin their first season as a Division I program. Knowing it would be a tall task, the Lakers left everything out on the floor, dropping their first game 105-61.
How it Happened:
The Lakers went scoreless for the first minute and a half until senior Allyson Ross kissed a ball off the glass for the Lakers first points of the season. Freshman Cici Hernandez was also quick to find the stat sheet, draining a three from the top of the key to keep the Lakers in the game early. Despite points from Grace Strickland and Grace Clary, the Irish continued to pull away to build a 32-13 first quarter lead.
Jenna Van Schaik and Cici Hernandez came out of the first break with some urgency, scoring quick buckets to keep Mercyhurst alive. The ACC favorites then went on a 12-0 run to take a commanding second quarter lead before Bailey Kuhns started to find her rhythm. Kuhns ended the half with 5 straight points, but it wasn't enough as the Irish lead ballooned to 29.
Bailey Kuhns continued to work hard for the Lakers as the second half got underway. Her 6 point quarter kept the Lakers competitive throughout the third. Her play was supplemented with buckets from Schaik, Ross, and Clary, but the Irish continued to have their way. Sparked by dominant down low play, Notre Dame cruised to a larger lead heading into the final frame, 79-47.
The Lakers continued to battle the Irish until the final whistle, but Notre Dame found success in almost every scoring category. Despite shooting only 9% from beyond the arc, Notre Dame shot 78% in the paint, and converted 26 points off turnovers.
Highlights:
Mercyhurst has a lot to be happy about after battling one of the top teams in the country. Bailey Kuhns, Mercyhurst's top performer, tallied 20 points to go along with 3 rebounds and an assist. Allyson Ross also played well, going 4 of 9 from the field for 9 points. Mercyhurst was also solid from the free throw line, shooting over 70%, and found 12 points from their bench in the loss.
Up Next:
Mercyhurst will have a quick turnaround as they prepare to take on Depaul University on Wednesday, November 6th at 12:00 pm.
