CEDARVILLE, Ohio --#Yvette Hunter# recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 12 points and 13 rebounds, #Chelsea Andorka# provided 11 points and two blocked shots, #Kealy McNally# chipped in with 10 points and five rebounds, and #Tracy Payne# added five points, five assists, five rebounds, and two blocked shots to help Notre Dame beat No. 16 Cedarville 61-59 on Saturday night. (Box)

The third straight win moved Notre Dame to 12-4 in league play and secured the Falcons a home American Mideast Conference tournament game on Tuesday, Feb. 22 and a virtual tie with Cedarville.

Payne missed out on scoring in double figures on the road for the first time since Dec. 15, while the Falcons got a lift off the bench from senior guard #Ashanti McLeod# and freshman guard #Danielle Ledrich#. The guard duo played with confidence as they combined for 3-for-3 from behind the 3-point line and provided 15 points, four rebounds and a pair of assists.

“We had to win to get a home tournament game,” Falcons coach #Dick Deasy# Said. "I think our team recognized the sense of urgency we had to have in these last few games.”

Rachel Hurley scored 20 points and grabbed six rebounds while Aubrey Siemon snatched a game high 17 rebounds and provided nine points for the Lady Jackets (22-8, 12-4 AMC), who failed to lockup the third seed in the AMC tournament as NDC and CU split their season series and has identical AMC records.

Notre Dame trailed by 13 (21-8) when #Yvette Hunter# converted a layup with 11:23 remaining in the opening half. The Lady Jackets would extend their lead to 29-15 when Kayla Jenerette buried a pair of free throws with 6:42 left.

The Falcons bench would come into play with McLeod and #Erin Entighe# combining to create and score the next nine points. First McLeod buried a jumper before Entighe found McNally for two before finding McLeod for a 3-pointer trimming the Lady Jackets lead to 29-22 with 5:14 in the opening half.

Entighe then received a pass from Ledrich cutting Cedarville's lead to 29-24 as the Lady Jackets missed their second straight shot.

After Payne slashed to the hoop she received an assist from Andorka brining the Falcons within one (30-31), Kayla Jenerette put up a shot with one second remaining giving Cedarville a 33-30 lead at the break.

The Lady Jackets opened the second half struggling to connect after Rachel Hurly put Cedarville up five, 35-30 at the 19:23 mark.

Aubrey Siemon put the Lady Jackets up 42-34 with 15:32 remaining before the Falcons went on a 9-0 run over the next three and a half minutes spurred by Hunter and McLeod. The senior duo combined for eight of the Falcons nine points cutting the lead to 43-44.

Cedarville responded with an 8-0 run pushing their lead to 52-43 with 9:15 left.

Senior forward #Kealy McNally# buried a pair of jumpers split by McLeod finding Ledrich for a deep 3-pointer to bring Notre Dame within two, 52-50 with 5:32 to play.

Rachel Hurly would put the Lady Jackets up 54-50 with 5:16 to play.

After Hunter converted a pair of free throws trimming the score to 54-52, Hurly turned the ball over and Lydia Miller sent #Chelsea Andorka# to the line for the Falcons.

Andorka calmly buried both shots leveling the score for the first time since 0-0 at the beginning. With 4:24 to go the Falcons had climbed back to level the score at 54-54.

After tying the game, the sophomore from Canton, Ohio, buried a jumper giving Notre Dame its first lead of the game, 56-54 with 3:38 remaining.

After trailing for the first 35 and a half minutes Notre Dame held off their hosts to secure a 61-59 victory.

For the game Notre Dame converted 41 percent (23-for-56) from the floor while they held the Lady Jackets 33 percent (21-for-64) and 7-for-23 (30 percent) behind the 3-point arc. Cedarville won the rebounding battle 44-38, on the back of Cedarville's all-time rebounding leader Aubrey Siemon's 17 rebounds that included 7 offensive rebounds. Yvette Hunter hauled down 13 rebounds to lead the Falcons.

Notre dame is back in action Tuesday when the Falcons host Roberts Wesleyan in the opening round of the American Mideast Conference Tournament. Time to be announced.


NOTES FROM THE NEST….

JACKET STUNG: Notre Dame and Cedarville have met 11 times in the all time series, which dates all the way back to 1998. The Yellow Jackets hold a commanding 9-2edge in the all time series. Notre Dame's lone previous 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 six meetings had been decided by more than 20 points.

GOOD FOR 3-HUNDRED: Head Coach #Dick Deasy# coached his 300th game as the bench boss for the Falcons on Tuesday night against Malone. The programs winningest coach in program history, both in terms of wins (181) and winning percentage (.603), Deasy coached the Falcons to a 86-44 victory marking his 300th game on the bench for NDC.

WINTER THAW: NDC is 7-13 (.350) in the second month of the calendar year since the 2008-09 season. 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. After suffering their longest home losing streak since 2009 when they dropped games on Jan. 30, 31, and Feb. 7, the Falcons have rebounded to win the last three this season and are now 4-3 this season in February.