INSTITUTE, W.Va. – For the second year in a row, the Notre Dame College women's basketball team started its season off 2-0 after a weekend at a conference crossover event. NDC won its second game 88-77 against Livingstone Last season the Falcons beat two PSAC teams while this year they defeated two teams from the CIAA.
 
After leading for the majority of Saturday's contest, Notre Dame found itself trailing at the end of quarter for the first time against Livingstone. The Blue Bears led 20-16 after the first quarter, scoring four-straight points in the final 50 seconds.
 
But the next quarter belonged to the Falcons. Notre Dame out-scored Livingstone 21-5 to start the second quarter. NDC carried its momentum through to halftime, taking a 43-36 lead into the locker room.
 
Free throws propelled Notre Dame through the second quarter with 13 of the Falcons' 27 points coming at the charity stripe. Overall in the first half, NDC was 17-18 on free throws.
 
"Free throws were important today," said head coach Lauren Macer. "The team focused on making it count when we got the opportunity to put points on the board."
 
The trio of Seina Adachi, Jen Oduho and Jessie Stout, who all ended the game with double-digit scoring, were a combined 14-of-14 from the line in the first half.
 
The Falcons held on to a steady lead throughout the second half, going up by as many as 17 in the fourth quarter. NDC changed its strategy in the second half to protect the lead. As a team, Notre Dame attempted 13 three-point field goals in the first two quarters. In the third and fourth, the Falcons combined for just two attempts from distance, making both. That change provided more points inside as NDC scored 24 points in the paint in the second half compared to 14 in the first half.
 
Starting forwards Jessie Stout and Jen Oduho were standouts in the game. Stout recorded the team's first double-double of the season with 10 points and 13 rebounds while Oduho came close to earning her first double-double as a Falcons with 14 points and nine assists.
 
Two games into the season, Stout now has 24 rebounds, including 10 on the offensive end.
 
"Jessie is aggressive on the boards and consistently puts herself in the right position to come down with the ball," Macer said. "It has also been helpful to have her teammates boxing out on the defensive end."
 
Seina Adachi repeated her success from yesterday's game to lead the team with 21 points on 7-of-15 shooting. Off the bench, her sister Marina Adachi scored nine points, making four of her five field goal attempts. The bench played a key role in Sunday's victory, scoring 31 points for the Falcons. Jada Marone was third on the team with 13 points in 18 minutes, adding three assists. Katie Karalic led the way in assists with four while also tallying two steals.
 
"The team had great energy today, and it was another game that we played together as one unit," Macer said. "It was good to see us move the ball and connect offensively."
 
Notre Dame has nearly a week to prepare for its next game as the Falcons travel to Mercyhurst on Saturday, November 16, for a noon tip/