SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio – After scoring a season-high 27 points in the first quarter, the Notre Dame College women's basketball team toppled Alderson Broaddus University on Saturday afternoon inside Murphy Gymnasium, 73-67. Freshman Noel Weathers turned in her second career double-double by scoring 14 points and collecting a career-high 12 rebounds in the win. The freshman from Cincinnati, Ohio fueled NDC on both ends of the floor as she also blocked a career-high three Battler shots.
 
"It was good to get back in the win column," stated head coach Imani Gordon. "We've talked about locking in on defense and playing together as a unit. I also think we did a good job of sharing the ball and finding the hot hand."
 
Redshirt sophomore Alana Ellis started the game red-hot for Notre Dame by scoring the Falcons first seven points, as well as making her first six shots of the game. The Twinsburg, Ohio native tallied 14 of her team-high 22 points in the period.
 
After a high scoring first quarter, NDC led AB 27-19.
 
To begin the second quarter, Alderson Broaddus generated a 14-6 run, knotting the game at 33-33 with 4:31 left until the half. Notre Dame responded with an 11-3 run to close out the stanza, with sophomore Karli Anker putting the Falcons up 44-36 after a layup in the final 10 seconds.
 
Once again, the Battlers cut down the Falcons lead, before taking a 50-49 advantage with 1:51 remaining in the third quarter, their first of the game. AB took a 54-51 lead into the final 10 minutes of play as freshman Peyton Wells beat the buzzer off an assist by senior Amil Ali-Shakir.
 
In the fourth quarter, the two sides went back-and-forth, exchanging seven lead changes. Senior Marina Adachi nailed a clutch three-pointer, giving the Falcons the lead once more, 68-67 with 2:01 remaining. Notre Dame sank 7-8 free throws (84.6%) in the fourth quarter, allowing the Falcons to prevail 73-67.
 
As aforementioned, NDC was led offensively by Ellis' team-high 22 points, followed by Weathers with 14 and Adachi with 12.
 
Weathers posted her second career double-double and the third by an NDC Falcon this season, with a career-high 12 rebounds in the game. In addition, the Mt. Healthy High School product tied her career-high with a game-high three blocks.
 
"Noel is just scratching the surface of her potential," mentioned Gordon. "She's huge for us on both ends of the floor. When she is aggressive she opens things up. Noel is a game changer for us when she is locked in!"
 
Junior Lizzie Imrie chipped in nine points, five rebounds and a game-high four assists.
 
Wells also brought down five rebounds and dished out a game-high four assists in the game.
 
As a whole, the Falcons shot 27-69 (39.1%) from the floor, 3-16 (18.8%) from the three-point land and 16-22 (72.7%) from the charity stripe. NDC won the rebounding battle 42 to 34 and the turnover battle nine to 15.
 
The Notre Dame College women's basketball team will be back in action on Wednesday Jan. 25 at 5:30 p.m. when Concord University comes to Murphy Gymnasium.