INSTITUTE, W.Va. – It took the Notre Dame College women's basketball team five and a half minutes to secure a lead at West Virginia State on Wednesday evening, and after the lead was theirs, the Falcons kept it for the remainder of the game to ultimately win 77-61.
 
The Yellow Jackets got off to an 8-4 lead in the first quarter, but NDC followed that with an 11-0 run. Notre Dame would end the opening quarter with a 21-12 lead. This lead came off a strong defensive performance as the Falcons allowed just four points in the final five minutes of quarter one.
 
The defense kept things going in the second quarter and WVSU's defense matched as the teams held each other to just 10 points to give Notre Dame a 31-22 lead at halftime.
 
In the third quarter, West Virginia State challenged the Falcons and brought the difference to three points, but NDC would go on another run and lead by 12 by time the quarter had ended.
 
Katie Karalic played a key role in the strong third quarter for Notre Dame as she was responsible for 16 of the teams 24 points. Karalic scored eight points of her own and assisted on four baskets in the first 10 minutes of the second half.
 
"Katie has become a great leader on the floor for us this season," said head coach Lauren Macer. "It was good to see that from her, being able to score and help her teammates get going as well."
 
Notre Dame closed things out in the fourth, outscoring WVSU 22-18 to leave with a 16-point victory.
 
A large part of the Falcons success against West Virginia State was the defense. NDC held the Yellow Jackets to under 30 percent shooting. Wednesday's contest was the first time all season, and the third time since Macer took over the program last year, that Notre Dame held a team below that mark.
 
The low shooting percentage by WVSU is credited to the Falcons' 13 blocks, which is tied for the second-most in NDC history. Jessie Stout recorded six of those 13 blocks, which is the most by a Falcon since Joni DePiore recorded eight in 1996. Stout now holds the Notre Dame record for most blocks in an NCAA Division II game.
 
Ajia McIntyre led the team on the offensive end with 15 points while Seina Adachi scored 14, Kyleigh Ramlow put up 11 and Karalic had 10. Stout led both teams with 11 rebounds and Karalic had a game-high seven assists.
 
Notre Dame returns home on Saturday, February 2, for a 2 p.m. game against Charleston.