PEPPER PIKE, Ohio -- Notre Dame earned a road victory in their season opener Wednesday, traveling up the road to Pepper Pike to take down Ursuline, 82-74. The Falcons (1-0) shot the ball well in the first half to open up a 13-point lead; NDC then hung on as Ursuline (0-1) made a late bid in the second.
Four Falcons scored in double figures for the game, and senior forward Jamie Henry (Garfield Heights, Ohio) notched a double-double, as No. 21 Notre Dame extended their winning streak over Ursuline to 19 games.
In the opening stanza, Ursuline jumped out to a quick 8-2 lead, with six points coming from forward Jessica Wood (Sr./Warren, Ohio). The Arrows still had a six-point advantage at 14:26; at that point, however, Notre Dame kicked into gear, going on a two-minute, 10-0 run.
Throughout the balance of the first, the Blue & White displayed a well-rounded offense. The Falcons shot a blistering 57.6 percent (19-for-33) in the period and went into halftime with a 42-29 lead.
In the second, the home Arrows cut the NDC lead to 10 points by the 14-minute mark. NDC answered, though, with a solid stretch of good rebounding and bench play. The eastside neighbor programs would then trade baskets throughout much of the second half until the 3-minute mark, when UC started a run.
From the 2:48 mark to the 0:12 mark, the Arrows went on a 17-6 run to cut the NDC lead to four, 78-74. With 12 seconds on the clock, junior guard Amanda Brown (Vienna, Va.) sank two of her 10 free throws for the game to put NDC up six, 80-74. Moments later she then swatted away a 3-point attempt and then NDC got to the line for two more free throws, preserving an 82-74 win.
Brown finished with a team-high 19 points, her most in a game since scoring 25 against the Arrows on Jan. 21, 2008. The Virginia native also grabbed seven rebounds and had four assists.
“I thought we played the first half very well,” said head coach Dick Deasy. “We were in sync right away. In the second, we were sluggish, it seemed. We got in foul trouble and were inconsistent with our play. But it's good to get out of this game with a win. These two teams have played some close games the last few years.”
Despite those close games in both Pepper Pike and South Euclid, NDC's win on Wednesday was their 19th in as many tries against Ursuline. With the win, the Falcons are now 10-0 all-time on Ursuline's home court.
In addition to Amanda Brown's 19 points, senior guard Ashley Carney (Solon, Ohio) and Jamie Henry added 17 apiece, and sophomore center Yvette Hunter (Jamestown, N.Y.) chipped in 14. Henry also added a game-high 15 rebounds.
For the game, Notre Dame out-shot Ursuline, 44.8 percent (30-for-67) to 35.8 percent (24-for-67). NDC also won the turnover battle, 13 to 19.
Senior Whitney Blackburn led Ursuline with 22 points. She hit six 3-pointers.
The game in Pepper Pike between the two eastside Cleveland neighbors was not an American Mideast Conference (AMC) game in the standings. The two teams will meet again on Jan. 27, in South Euclid, for their one league tilt with each other this season.
Notre Dame will continue its season this weekend. The Falcons travel to Adrian, Mich., to play in a two-day invitational tournament hosted by Adrian College. The Falcons will play Edgewood (Wisc.) in day-one of the tournament on Saturday (8 p.m. tip). …Notre Dame will play its home opener on Wednesday, Nov. 19, against Westminster (Pa.).
NEWS FROM THE NEST…
MISSING INGREDIENT: Senior Molly Baker (Avon Lake, Ohio) was on the bench Tuesday at Ursuline, but not as a sixth-man-secret weapon for Dick Deasy. Unfortunately for Deasy and the Falcons, Baker has been sidelined by a knee injury (right knee, ACL) and is expected to miss the entire 2008-09 season. Baker will still be a factor, however – the returning 2007-08 Second Team All-AMC North performer was voted to a captain position by the team, alongside Amanda Brown and Ashley Carney. She'll also serve beside Deasy as a student assistant coach for the season. … Last season, after transferring to NDC from Ohio Wesleyan, Baker started each of the Falcons' 30 games and averaged 15.2 PPG and 6.1 RPG. The 5-foot-7 guard-forward also led the team in steals, with 80 (third, AMC).
MANIC MONTH: Notre Dame is in for a busy November to start the season. The Falcons will play nine games in the first 19 days of their season. … The Blue & White went 6-0 last November (2007) and, with Tuesday's win at Ursuline, are now 16-2 in their last 18 November tilts.
JUMPIN'JAMIE: Jamie Henry's 15 boards marked her most in a game since setting the Falcon program record of 20 rebounds in a game Jan. 21, 2008; that game was also against Ursuline. Henry's double-double was her sixth in her four-year career at NDC. The Garfield Heights native became a starter for the Falcons a year ago, starting all 30 of NDC's games. … Henry's 11th point Wednesday in Pepper Pike was the 500th of her career. She averaged 11.4 points and 7.4 rebounds per contest last season.
