Box Score
NASHVILLE -- A strong Trevecca Nazarene (Tenn.) squad extended a Notre Dame losing streak by edging the Falcons, 80-74, on Saturday.

Losing a fourth straight contest overall and its fourth straight on the road, Notre Dame (2-11) was solid throughout most of Saturday's contest.  Paced by senior guard Lauren Macer's career-high 29 points, the Falcons eclipsed 70 points for just the third time this season.

The Trojans (10-5) broke a late 70-70 tie in coming from behind for the victory.  TNU has now won five straight since its last loss; the Trojans are 6-1 on their home hardwood in 2012-13.

Both teams were sharp at the outset of Saturday's game, playing solid defense and knocking down well-earned shots in a physical contest.  The host Trojans managed to get to the free-throw line early and often in building a 21-16 lead by the mid-point of the opening stanza.

A Courtney Clark trey at the 9:45-mark ignited a 6-0 run that put the Falcons in front, 22-21.  Alternate see-saw runs from there culminated in the two fives being knotted at 30-30 by the 5:09-mark.  NDC's offense got a spark from its guards who combined to drain five of their first 10 looks from beyond the 3-point arc.

Notre Dame finished the first on a hot streak and took a 41-40 lead into halftime.  NDC hit 6-of-14 threes in the opening half.  Senior guard Lauren Macer hit two of those long balls en route to scoring 12 points in the first.

Macer got off to a good start in the second half, dialing up three more treys while NDC clung to its one-point lead over the first six minutes of play.  The Falcons' leading scorer was also a leader on defense, and on that side of the ball NDC continued to pester Trevecca into frequent turnovers.

Starting at the 14:24-mark, the Falcons went on an impressive 14-4 run, and when Danielle Ledrich hit a jumper at 8:39, the Blue & White found themselves up, 66-57.

The Trojans then forced several turnovers in gradually whittling into the Notre Dame advantage.  NDC fouls piled up, putting TNU in the double bonus by the six-minute mark.  Trevecca tied the game at 70-70 by the 4:23-mark when Kayla Biles hit a pair of free throws.  TNU would get to the line a total of 38 times in the game, 29 more than would the Falcons.

The Trojans worked their way to a 75-72 lead by the one-minute mark, and when Lauren Wasson nailed a jumper at 0:42, the home five found themselves up five (77-72).  TNU played out the final half minute by adding to their big numbers at the line, where the Trojans finished 27-of-38 (71.1 percent).

Macer finished with a game-high 29 points on the strength of five 3-pointers and an 8-for-8 day at the line (the balance of the Falcon squad got the line just once).  Macer added eight rebounds and four steals in what marked NDC's highest individual scoring performance since Yvette Hunter scored 34 in a game on Jan. 26, 2010.

Molly Ritz added 13 points and three blocked shots.  Notre Dame had a season-high nine blocks in the contest.

Kayla Biles had 15 points to lead TNU; she was one of five Trojan players to notch double figures in the game.

With the defeat in Nashville, NDC is now 1-7 on the road this season.

Notre Dame's next game is slated for Tuesday when the Falcons will take on the Central State Marauders in the front half of a two-day trip to Wilberforce, Ohio.  NDC will take on the Wilberforce Lady Bulldogs on Wednesday.