SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio – It took a few minutes of game play for the Notre Dame College women's basketball team to get into its normal offensive rhythm, but once things clicked the Falcons seized command of the game to beat West Liberty 88-80.
 
The visiting Hilltoppers got off to a 13-4 lead in the beginning of the first quarter before NDC went on a 15-5 run to win the opening 10 minutes 19-18. The Falcons kept their momentum going in the second quarter to win 23-16 and take a 42-34 lead into halftime.
 
Both teams shot well in the first half, making over 46 percent of their shots, but the Notre Dame defense provided the team six more field goal attempts. West Liberty turned the ball over 11 times in the first two quarters, giving NDC plenty of opportunities to strike.
 
The Falcons had even more success in the second half on the defensive side as the Hilltoppers turned the ball over 12 times. Throughout the game, NDC scored 27 points off turnovers compared to WLU's 14.
 
Another area Notre Dame dominated was shooting free throws. The Falcons made 19 of their 21 attempts while the visitors only made eight of their 17 attempts.
 
"[Free throws] ended up playing a big role," said Marisa Finazzo who was 9-for-9. "If you count those points right there and there was any alteration, then it would've been a much closer game."
 
With her nine free throws and seven field goals, Finazzo was able to score over 20 points for the third time this season with 23, but it was her fellow guard Seina Adachi that led the team with 27. Combined, the two scored 50 of the team's 88 points.
 
"They did well playing off each other," head coach Lauren Macer said. "Together they only shot one three so that shows what they can do when they attack. They both have the ability to shoot the three, but they made their reads and finished around the rim."
 
Adachi, who leads the Falcons with 54 three-point field goals this season, has been able to show off her skills in other areas lately. In the past three games, the sophomore shooting guard has only attempted two shots from distance.
 
"Teams have been taking away my threes lately, but I can attack too," said Adachi. "I've just been focusing on attacking right now. If I'm open I'll shoot it, but in games like tonight we had a lot of open lanes so we took it inside."
 
Together, the two underclassmen made 19 of their 28 shots inside.
 
"I prefer to drive," Finazzo said. "I was seeing open lanes and in transition, I was looking for any crack to get into."
 
It was the second game of the season in which two NDC players scored over 20 points. Less than a week ago, on February 15, Finazzo and Kim Cook scored 28 and 22, respectively.
 
Cook led the team tonight with seven rebounds while Ciara Reed brought in six. Reed, along with Finazzo and Abi Oriti each led the team with two assists.
 
Reed has made her presence felt after missed shots recently with 11 rebounds in the past two games. Prior to her five rebounds against UVa-Wise last game, the senior guard was averaging just 1.3 rebounds per game.
 
"Ciara does a good job of realizing the best way for her to contribute on any given night," Macer said. "If she's on, then she'll shoot and if not then she figures out what else she can bring to the table. She's a great senior leader to have on the court and I think it's important to her to contribute to the team. No matter what, she's going to give everything she has."
 
Notre Dame will finish the regular season against Urbana on Saturday, February 24, at 2 p.m. The women's basketball team will celebrate Senior Day and honor its four senior players.