MOUNT VERNON, Ohio – Grace's women's basketball team picked up a hard fought 82-71 victory over Mt. Vernon on Wednesday night.
In the contest
Karlee Feldman would etch her name in Grace lore. Feldman blocked four shots to move her career total to 109, the most ever by a single player in program history.
Grace (17-7, 10-4 Crossroads League) enjoyed an efficient first quarter, as the Lady Lancers shot 44 percent from the field and hit a pair of 3-point shots. The Lady Lancers built a five-point cushion and took a 16-11 lead into the second stanza.
MVNU opened the second quarter on an 8-1 run as turnovers began to plague the Lady Lancers. The Cougars had jumped out to a 19-17 lead before Grace finally got a shot to fall.
Maddie Ryman broke the seal on Grace's basket at the 4:48 of the quarter. Her bucket came in signature style as the junior guard made a hard drive to the paint and finished with an acrobatic flare.
Grace and MVNU matched each other nearly blow-for-blow to close out the half, but it was the Cougars who held a narrow 30-28 lead entering halftime.
Ryman had an explosive first half as she poured in 12 points and grabbed five rebounds. Grace turned the ball over 11 times in the first half.
The Cougars continued their aggressive play in the second half and held a 39-34 advantage at the six-minute mark.
Peyton Murphy hit a contested 3-point shot to cut the Grace deficit to just one-point. Grace recaptured the lead at 46-43 after Feldman scored four-straight points.
The quarter ended in a track-meet with action up and down the court. MVNU took a 51-50 lead into the final frame.
After a MVNU free throw, Murphy tied the game at 52 apiece, and Feldman vaulted the Lancers back into the lead again as she would not be denied in the paint.
The Lady Lancers lead ballooned to seven after
Kiersten Findley drained a pair of threes that seemed to put the balance of the game in Grace's favor.
However, the Cougars mustered a response to draw within 66-64 as the clock ticked under five minutes.
Kaylee Patton would score the game's next eight points to push Grace's advantage to 10 points and put the Lady Lancers in control for the final time.
Grace would ice the game at the charity stripe to put the finishing touches on an 82-71 win.
"This one was a dog fight," said Grace head coach
Dan Davis. "Two teams who were valuing every possession like it was their last of the season. Thought we played well in the first half but had some unforced turnovers. Our girls did a great job of leading each other and they never folded. I thought Findley did a fantastic job guarding one of the best guards in the league and her two 3-point shots in the fourth quarter really ignited our run. So many players really stepped up to the challenge today. Hats off to our girls for a huge road win."
Ryman finished the game with 24 points and narrowly missed a double-double as she grabbed nine rebounds.
On her historic night, Feldman finished the game with a dazzling stat line. The junior center had 21 points, 13 rebounds and 4 blocks.
Patton scored 16 points to go along with seven assists and five rebounds. Findley finished with 12 points.
Grace shot 53 percent from the floor for the game, including 44 percent from beyond the arc. The Lady Lancers outrebounded the Cougars 41-31.
Grace will be back in action on Saturday to take on Taylor. The Lady Lancers will also recognize the graduating seniors following the contest.