Box Score
PAINESVILLE, Ohio -- Notre Dame got back to its winning ways with a 66-51 victory over Lake Erie on Wednesday night.

The Falcons, who had won 10 straight prior to a home loss last Saturday, came up with its biggest defensive effort since Jan. 31 in holding Lake Erie (4-21) to just 51 points on 23.4 percent (15-of-64) shooting from the field.

Notre Dame (13-12) got 17 points from guard Lauren Macer and 12 points and 10 rebounds from center Erin Entinghe. A big second half was NDC's biggest key to victory. Over the game's final 20 minutes, the Falcons outscored the home five, 40-28.

With the loss, Lake Erie is now 1-13 over its last 14 games.

For Notre Dame the road win ran the Falcons' final 2012-13 road record to 7-7.

Both teams were slow out of the gate, at least offensively. Only nine total points were scored over the game's first seven minutes. At that waypoint, LEC led, 5-4. And the Storm would maintain a slim lead throughout most of the opening half.

By the 4:27-mark, Lake Erie led, 19-17, but over the final four-and-a-half minutes of the first, Notre Dame outscored the Storm, 9-4. Thus NDC led, 26-23, at the break.

Lake Erie shot just 21.2 percent (7-of-33) from the field in the first 20 minutes. The opening half included nine lead changes and six ties.

At the 17:33-mark in the second, Molly Ritz completed a three-point play for the Falcons, and that bucket and free-throw toss proved to be the centerpiece of a 14-3 run for NDC. By the 11:53-mark, Notre Dame had built a 20-point lead (47-27). The Falcons played lockdown defense and balanced offense over what amounted to a 24-7 run to start the second half.

The Storm gradually chipped away at Notre Dame's lead, and when Jackie Murray knocked down a trey at 3:20, Lake Erie trailed by 12. But the Falcons would allow the Storm to get no closer the rest of the way, preserving their sixth straight road win.

Lauren Macer scored more than half of her 17 points at the foul line, where she was 10-of-10 on the night. Erin Entinghe was 6-of-9 from the floor en route to her third double-double this season. Katie Stumphauzer added 12 points and eight boards.  Danielle Ledrich added 11 points.

With the win, the Falcons are now 30-9 all-time against Lake Erie. Wednesday's win reprises a 96-72 loss to LEC a year ago (Nov. 20, 2011), and NDC has now won six of the last eight games between the two Northeast Ohio programs.

Notre Dame will close out its 2012-13 season on Saturday, when the Falcons host the Trojans of Trevecca Nazarene University at Murphy Gymnasium (2 p.m. tip-off).