SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio – The Notre Dame College women's basketball team lost 99-85 in heartbreaking fashion as the Falcons led their game against Glenville State for nearly 35 minutes on Thursday evening.
 
NDC got off to a hot start, going up 14-4 after less than two minutes of play. But the Pioneers chipped away at the 10-point lead in the remaining eight minutes of the first quarter to make things 25-23 in favor of the home team heading into the second quarter.
 
"How we started the game should give us some confidence moving forward because typically we have slower starts," said head coach Lauren Macer. "There are definitely a lot of things from today that we are happy with, but there are also a lot of things we need to learn from and continue to grow in."
 
The Falcons kept things going in the second quarter to win 23-19 and take a 48-42 lead going into half time. But the second half belonged to Glenville State. The Pioneers won the third quarter 22-21 and took off in the fourth to win 35-16.
 
Notre Dame held an 81-80 lead with less than five minutes to go, but GSC went on one of its signature runs to close things out with a 19-4 advantage in the final 3:35.
 
Despite the loss, there were many bright spots in NDC's performance. Jessie Stout finished with 15 points and 17 rebounds in her second double-double of the year. Twelve of her 15 rebounds came on the offensive end as she helped the team to a total of 23 second-chance points throughout the game. Stout's 17 boards ties the Notre Dame Division II single-game record and is tied for fifth most in a single game all time.
 
"It's good for her," Macer said of Stout. "Her confidence is coming back and the girls rally behind her and her hard work. It was a good night for her. She's always focused on helping the team win and that's what motivates her to do what she did tonight."
 
Overall, four players finished in double-digit scoring as Seina Adachi led both teams with 21 points. Kyleigh Ramlow and Abi Oriti put up 13 and 10, respectively. Stout led both teams with five assists while Adachi added four of her own. Ramlow secured eight rebounds on the night, all on defense, and joining her strong defensive performance was Adachi with four steals and two blocks.
 
Notre Dame will play West Virginia Wesleyan on Saturday, January 12, at 2 p.m. in Murphy Gymnasium.