SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio – It took a while for the No. 24 Notre Dame College women's basketball team to play at its normal level against Wheeling University, but once the Falcons were able to regroup the game reversed course leading to a nine-point home victory.
 
"We needed to wake up."
 
That was the sentiment from head coach Lauren Macer after the game, reflecting on her team's slow start. Notre Dame went down 20-15 after the first quarter, losing the opening 10 minutes for the first time in over a month. But after a short break, the Falcons came back to win the final three quarters.
 
The change was a result of getting back to their own way of playing.
 
"Between quarters we talked about regrouping and focusing on playing our game," Macer said. "We can't force something else and become a different team, so it's all about getting back to our style of play. We have to remember what makes us successful and what's gotten us this far."
 
What has led the Falcons to a now 16-1 (10-1 MEC) record is offense from defense: a common response from the Notre Dame players and coaches after games. NDC's strong defensive play was again the leading reason behind their second quarter comeback, which produced a 34-32 lead for the Falcons at halftime.
 
Wheeling turned the ball over seven times in the second quarter, and Notre Dame made good use of those opportunities, scoring nine of its 19 points in quarter two off takeaways.
 
The transition from a successful defensive play into offensive numbers, and the momentum that follows, comes from the frenzied thrill of playing a less organized version of a highly competitive game.  
 
"Running down the court off a turnover is exciting because you have a head start to get to the offensive end without having to run a play," Macer said. "Your main goal is just finding an open shooter, whether that's the person who got the steal or someone in front of them or someone trailing them. The excitement of a fast break turns into big momentum swings and that's something we pride ourselves in taking advantage of."
 
Leading Notre Dame on both ends of the court were Jada Marone, Jen Oduho and Seina Adachi, who each scored in double digits and recorded multiple steals.
 
Marone led the team with 21 points and three steals, but was quick to praise her teammates.
 
"It is tough when shots aren't falling for us," Marone said after the Falcons shot just .387 from the field (the team's third lowest mark of the season). "But you have to find other ways to get to the rim. We have two really nice post players who finish well and when we attack it draws defenders in and opens other things up."
 
Attacking the basket is something Marone and others on the NDC team are known for. The motivation behind going hard at the rim is clear.
 
"We know that anyone on the court for us is a threat with the ball, and we have to play like it," Marone said.
 
One of the forwards Marone praised is Oduho, who was second on the team with 18 points. Oduho was 7-of-10 from the field and hit two threes at crucial times in the game. With long shots, she was able to create space against a 6-1 center in Wheeling's Lilly Ritz, who ended the game with 17 points and 18 rebounds.
 
"[The threes] did allow me to create some space against a big center, but that's our game plan," Oduho said. "If you're open, you have to have the confidence to shoot it. I couldn't do it without my teammates helping me get open, though, and hitting me with good passes."
 
Notre Dame won the second half 31-24 and held their opponent to just 56 points, which marks the seventh time this season the Falcons have kept teams under 60.
 
NDC had production off the bench as always, but Wednesday night saw a different form of energy from the reserves. The Falcons' bench scored just seven points, but players like Marisa Finazzo, who led the team with four assists, and Julie Kemp, who tied for a team-high five rebounds with Oduho, highlighted the players' ability to contribute in multiple ways.
 
"We are so deep," Macer said. "I've said that a lot this year, but it's true. We have players who just go out and give us what they can every night. Sometimes it's scoring, other times it comes from assists or rebounds or steals. And often its in plays that don't show up on the stat sheet. You don't see how good some of our players are on help defense or how well they box out by looking at stats."
 
Notre Dame will play Urbana on Saturday, January 25, at 2 p.m.