Box Score
SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio -- Returning home for the first time in 12 days, the Notre Dame College women's basketball team played host to the visiting West Liberty University Hilltoppers on Thursday night at Murphy Gymnasium. In a game where neither side led by double digits at any point, the Falcons held on for a 77-68 win over the Hilltoppers in an important Mountain East Conference showdown.

Midway through the first half, the Falcons and Hilltoppers were tied at 13 and fighting for a lead. The Hilltoppers used a quick 5-0 spurt to take an 18-13 lead, but the Falcons immediately responded. Martha Nagbe hit a 3-pointer and Kelsey Miller nailed a jumper, tying the game at 18 with 5:05 left in the first half.

The scoring came to a slow in the final minutes of the first half, and the Falcons went into halftime with a narrow 23-22 lead over the Hilltoppers.

On the first possession of the second half, Nagbe scored a jumper to spark the Falcons early in the half. 

With 16:08 remaining in the first half, WLU's Emily Bucon made a 3-pointer to tie the score at 31. The back-and-forth battle continued as both sides threw jabs, but neither able to land a knockout punch and take control of the game.

A pair of Hilltoppers free throws gave WLU a 48-47 lead with 8:44 remaining, but Nagbe wasted no time in making another jumper, taking back the lead, 49-48. However, the Hilltoppers were fouled on their next possession and sank two more free throws, giving the lead back to WLU, 50-49. 

WLU's Hillary Southworth made a jump shot to push the lead to three, but that lead was short-lived as Lexi Hassing rained a 3-pointer to tie the game at 52.

Another bucket from each side tied the game at 54, but an And-One play from Nagbe gave the Falcons a 57-54 lead with 6:24 remaining. 

With 4:52 remaining, a West Liberty score cut the NDC's lead to three again, 61-58. A pair of Nagbe free throws pushed the lead back to five, but West Liberty counted with a 3-pointer to make the score 63-61.

The Falcons used a pair of buckets from Hassing and Lauren Langenderfer, but a Hilltoppers 3-pointer kept WLU within two, 67-65. The Hilltoppers scored again with 1:56 remaining, tying the game at 67.

From there, it was all Falcons. A basket from Hope Thorbahn and a pair of Nagbe free throws pushed the lead back to four, 71-67, with 49 seconds left. 

In the remaining 49 seconds, the Falcons iced the game with free throws and held on for an impressive 77-68 win over the Hilltoppers.

With the win, the Falcons improve to 12-7 on the season, including 8-5 in Mountain East Conference play.

The Falcons will return to action on Saturday, Jan. 31 on the road against the Concord Mountain Lions in another MEC battle. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.