SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio -- On a night where the two teams started off as cold as the Cleveland weather, Cedarville came away with a pivotal American Mideast Conference victory at the Murphy Gymnasium Thursday evening, 57-55. (Box)

For the Falcons (19-8, 9-4 AMC), the loss extends their home losing streak to three games, after the Falcons rattled off five straight wins. For the Lady Jackets (21-6, 11-2 AMC) the victory marks their fourth straight and sixth in the last eight games. 

Both teams came out cold in the first half, as the game remained extremely close through the opening stanza.

The Lady Jackets opened the scoring nearly a minute into the contest and Notre Dame would respond knotting the score exactly sixty seconds later. Both teams would trade baskets till the Falcons would go on an 8-0 run giving them their largest lead in the first 20 minutes (14-8) with 12:12 remaining. Cedarville would respond with a 10-4 run of their own drawing the score level 18-18 with just under seven minutes left in the first half.

CU would close out the first half with a 10-6 run for a 28-24 lead as the two teams entered the locker room for halftime.

The Falcons had trouble shooting in the first half, as the Lady Jackets held NDC to 0-for-5 from behind the 3-point arc. Inside the arc the Falcons converted 45.5 percent (10-for-22). The nation's leading 3-point field goal team, Cedarville struggled in the first half, shooting just 2-for-12 (16.7 percent) behind the arc and 37.9 percent (11-for-29) from the floor. On the season the Lady Jackets have shot 40.7 percent (224-for-551) from 3-point land.

The Falcons would turn consecutive turnovers by the visiting Lady Jackets into back-to-back baskets providing the games fifth tie (28-28) within the opening 90 seconds of the second half.

After Cedarville took a two point lead (32-30) at the 16:50 mark, the Falcons would go on a 9-0 run to take a seven point lead (39-32) with 13:31 remaining in the contest. High pressure defense by Notre Dame forced the Lady Jackets into six turnovers and 0-for-3 from the field during the Falcons run.

The Falcons would build on the run extending their lead to 10 points (46-36) when #Lauren Macer# connected on a 3-pointer with 9:11 to go.

Cedarville would trade baskets with Notre Dame before going on a 5-0 run, trimming the Falcons lead to 50-48 with under three minutes remaining.

The two teams would trade baskets over the next minute and a half before Kara Cayton nailed a 3-pointer leveling the score at 53-53 with 1:30 left.

Yvette Hunter would respond by splitting a Cedarville double-team to convert from down low putting the hosts in the lead, 55-53 with just over a minute remaining.

Aubrey Siemon would convert two free-throws drawing the score level for the eighth time on the evening, 55-55 with 44 seconds remaining.

Siemon would rebound a missed jumper by Hunter giving Cedarville the ball with 21 seconds left and the score level. For Siemon the all-time CU rebounder (1,261) the rebound secured a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds, but her night would be far from over, as she would convert a jumper with less than a second remaining giving Cedarville the 57-55 victory.

“She's hard to guard," said Notre Dame coach #Dick Deasy# (regarding Siemon), "With her size, she's an accurate field-goal shooter and great rebounder.”

The loss also marked the first time the Falcons have lost three consecutive home games since 2008, Jan. 30, 31, and Feb. 7. That streak concluded with a 90-64 loss to Cedarville Feb. 7.

Four Falcons would score in double figures, led by #Kealy McNally# (14 points, 4 rebound), #Yvette Hunter# (12 points), #Lauren Macer# (12 points, five steals), and #Tracy Payne# (10 points, six assists).

Notre Dame shot 43.8 percent (21-for-48) from the floor, and hit on 91.7 percent (11-for-12) of their free throws. The Falcons struggled from beyond the arc shooting 18.2 percent (2-for-11).

For Payne, Thursday's game proved to be an extension of what has now been a solid, two-week period of steady offensive output. The Danville, Ohio native came into the game against CU having averaged 15.8 points per game over her last four contests and having shot 43.6 percent (17-of-39) over that stretch. The sophomore guard has also converted 45.8 percent (11-of-24) from beyond the arc and 90.0 percent (18-of-20) from the charity stripe. On Thursday at the Murph, the three-time All-Ohio selection went 5-for-9 from the floor. She also grabbed three rebounds, and provided six assists, on a night when the Falcons were out-rebounded by the visitors, 35-28.

Notre Dame will look to break their losing streak when they close out their four-game home stand on Saturday, Feb. 12, with a 2 p.m. tip against Wilberforce.



NOTES FROM THE NEST...

FROZEN FEBRUARY: NDC is in the midst of a cold February that dates back to the 2008-09 season. This season the Falcons are 1-3 and have dropped their last three contests in February at home. NDC is 4-12 (.250) in the second month of the calendar year. A year ago, Notre Dame went 2-5 in February en route to losing six of its last nine games to finish the season with a 15-13 mark.

JACKET STING: Notre Dame and Cedarville have met 10 times in the all time series, which dates all the way back to 1998. The Yellow Jackets hold a commanding 9-1edge in the all time series. Notre Dame's lone victory against the Lady Jackets came back on Nov. 27, 2007 at Murphy Gymnasium. The Falcons are 1-4 against Cedarville all time at the Murph. The two teams met in the AMC Championship game back in 2006, in Cedarville, where the Yellow Jackets triumphed to an 85-56 victory. Three of the last five meetings have been decided by more than 20 points.

HOMEWORK: Saturday's matinee against Wilberforce marks the end of a four game home stand for the Falcons. The Falcons have just three games left on the 2010-11 slate, which includes a pair of road games against Malone and Cedarville.