The Mount Vernon Nazarene University women's basketball team secured a decisive victory over Oakland City University with an 84-59 win at Ariel Arena on Saturday, November 15. This triumph marked the Lady Cougars' third consecutive win, improving their season record to 4-3, while Oakland City fell to 0-7.
MVNU led the first quarter 16-12 and expanded their lead in the second quarter. After a close start, MVNU went on a 22-11 run to finish the half with a 40-28 advantage. The Lady Cougars maintained their momentum in the third quarter, leading by as much as 17 points and entering the final period ahead 60-49. Although Oakland City narrowed the gap early in the fourth quarter, MVNU's defense limited them to just one field goal from 9:38 to 1:05 on the clock. The Lady Cougars dominated the final quarter, outscoring their opponents 24-10 and holding them to a mere 22.2% shooting accuracy.
Anna Swisshelm led MVNU with a game-high of 23 points and nine rebounds. Lily Shepherd contributed significantly with 17 points, nine assists, and five rebounds. Angela Roshak added another strong performance with 15 points, four rebounds, three assists, three blocks, and two steals. Kylie Leibacher also scored in double figures with 11 points.
Overall, MVNU shot 47.5% from the field and made seven out of twenty attempts from beyond the arc while limiting Oakland City to a shooting percentage of just over thirty-two percent. The team demonstrated excellent ball movement with twenty-four assists against only eight turnovers.
Coach VanHoose expressed pride in his team's performance despite having little time between games during homecoming weekend: "Proud of our team for getting the win after a very short turnaround this weekend," he said. "A lot of different players stepped up in many different ways which is very encouraging."
Looking ahead, MVNU will begin conference play against No.7 University of Saint Francis at Ariel Arena on Wednesday, November 19 at 5:00 p.m.
Mount Vernon Nazarene University is a private Christian institution offering undergraduate and graduate programs to nearly two thousand two hundred students across various states and countries.
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