SOUTH EUCLID, OH -- The Notre Dame College women's basketball team (1-2) hosted Mercyhurst University (0-3) for the Falcons 2021-22 home opener on Wednesday evening. The Lakers would score the first basket of the game, followed by two Jen Oduho free throws to tie the game at 2-2. Lilee Carlson would convert a jumper and Notre Dame would go on to lead the remaining 37 minutes of the game. Imani Gordon and Notre Dame picked up their first victory of the season 75-68. For Gordon, it is her first career victory as head coach of the Notre Dame College women's basketball program, after she was promoted from assistant coach back on April 28, 2021.
 
"I'm super excited! exclaimed Head Coach Imani Gordon, "I'm super excited because we're starting to piece things together, we are starting to execute more, we're working harder…We had a bad start to the weekend by going 0-2, but we kept saying to each other, 'Let's bounce back, let's bounce back. Let's move forward because we need to get a win.' So it is exciting that we finally got it."
 
In the first quarter, Notre Dame rattled off an 11-0 run in response to Mercyhurst's first basket of the game. NDC would finish the quarter up 17-14 after a quick 5-0 run by the Lakers to end the period. 
 
In the second quarter, the two sides would exchange bucket for bucket as neither team saw a run of more than five points. Marina Adachi pulled a spectacular move out of her bag of tricks to net the final basket of the half for the Falcons. NDC would win the quarter 15-14 and hold a 32-28 lead at the half.
 
In the third quarter, Notre Dame would distance themselves from Mercyhurst by winning the quarter 25-16, capped off by a 9-0 run to end the quarter. Carlson made a layup with seven seconds left to swing the momentum in the Falcons favor. 
 
In the fourth quarter, Mercyhurst would show plenty of fight after facing as large as a 14-point deficit during the final ten minutes. The Lakers would generate a 10-2 run to make the game 67-62 NDC with 1:03 on the game clock. Within the final minute of the contest, Carlson was sent to the charity stripe four times via Mercyhurst fouls. The freshman converted six of eight free throws to put the game on ice for Notre Dame and lock down the first win during the Imani Gordon era. 
 
Oduho posted a game-high 20 points to lead Notre Dame on offense. Carlson followed suit with a career-high 17 points and Alana Ellis added 16 points as they were the three Falcons to score in double figures. Oduho was a perfect 8-8 from the free throw line, as Carlson tallied 9-12 from the line.
 
Adachi was a spark plug off the bench for NDC as she tallied eight points during her first action on the young season.
 
When asked about her early season success, senior Jen Oduho said, "I'm coming in as a fifth year senior and I wanted to show the younger kids that if you put in the work and are consistently in the gym that anything is possible."  
 
Tamia Ridley was a force to be reckoned with in the post as the senior grabbed a game-high and career-high 18 rebounds. The Massillon, Ohio native's 18 rebounds are tied for the 4th most rebounds in a game in Notre Dame program history. 
 
"It was mostly go and find the ball and be dominant on the boards, both on the offensive end and the defensive end." proclaimed Ridley, "And with me not really scoring, I had to find another way to contribute to my team and help them get this dub."
 
Notre Dame outrebounded Mercyhurst 44-38, including 12 offensive rebounds to the Lakers five. The Falcons were able to total 12 second chance points, compared to MU's six.
 
Notre Dame College will be back in action on Saturday Nov. 20 at 2 p.m. when the Falcons travel to Wheeling University to face the Cardinals. Saturday will mark the beginning of Mountain East Conference play for NDC.