The Mount Vernon Nazarene University women’s basketball team (12-10, 6-4 Crossroadfs League) mounted a second-half charge to defeat the University of Saint Francis Cougars (11-7, 5-4 CL) 90-80 on Jan. 26 at Ariel Arena in Mount Vernon.
The spirited win was head coach Amanda Short’s 100th career, collegiate win.
The visitors came out hot to start the game and took control in the first quarter. Saint Francis led by as many as 12 points before MVNU began a ferocious comeback, cutting the lead down to just two. Down 44-42 at the half, the hosts came out energized for the second half and regained the advantage in the game. Mount Vernon held an 18-point lead in the fourth quarter before finishing a comfortable 10-point Crossroads League win. Offensively, MVNU was clicking. The Lady Cougars finished with 29 assists and shot 57.1% from 3-point range. The victory puts the team in third in the conference standings.
After the conclusion of the game, the players doused their coach with water and celebrated her 100th career win on the court. After taking over the project in 2015, Short rebuilt the program and led the Lady Cougars to a NAIA National Tournament berth in 2021.
MVNU’s stat sheet leaders included Sage Brannon, who had a huge game off the bench with 21 points, eight rebounds, five assists and five steals on the night. Maggie Coe also had a big night as she also scored 21 points and provided eight assists. Elizabeth Monk scored 15 points, grabbed six rebounds and provided four assists in a solid performance from the fifth-year senior. Rylee Pireu added 12 points, six rebounds and five assists.
“It was a fun night in Ariel Arena," Short said. "It was a great team win in every aspect. We had a tough start to the game, but once we got some momentum in the second quarter, we played well in every area. We moved the ball so well on offense, leading to 29 assists. Brannon was a huge spark off the bench. She was a game-changer. She did everything tonight for us. She was fun to watch. It was fun to get win number 100 at home against a great Saint Francis team.”
