SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio – The Urbana University women’s basketball team suffered an 84-74 loss to Notre Dame College during Thursday night’s MEC contest inside Murphy Gym. The Blue Knights fall to 7-8 overall and 6-5 in the MEC following the final game of a three-game road trip.
The UU men lost in the late game, 94-86. Mike Newton had 27 points for UU (1-15, 0-11).
Despite a season-high 31 turnovers and a 20-point deficit in the third quarter, the UU women found a way to climb back in it and got within five points at the end of the third stanza, 64-59.
The turnover total is the highest of any MEC team this season, and the most UU giveaways in a game since the 2010-2011 campaign. UU entered Thursday night’s game tied for second in the MEC with the fewest turnovers per game (16.1).
Sophomore guard Danie Shafer led UU with 18 points and three 3-pointers, while senior guard Kennedy Boggs posted 16 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Senior forward Tori Purk and sophomore forward Jazmyn Haley each registered 12 points and eight boards.
The Blue Knights shot at a 40.7 percent clip from the floor and drained seven threes on 22 attempts from beyond the arc. The free-throw line continues to be a strength for UU after finishing 23 of 26 at the line.
Notre Dame College (11-6, 8-3 MEC) led 50-34 at halftime and seemed to be in control at that point.
The Falcons were led by Martha Nagbe’s 19 points, eight steals, five assists and four boards.
UU was able to fight back due to 23 Falcon turnovers and by facing a minus-two rebounding margin. NDC out-boarded the Blue Knights, 39-37.
After going down 54-34 near the start of the third, UU chipped away after finding the ability to take care of the ball with just three turnovers during the quarter.
Shafer netted 10 points in the third as the Blue Knights outscored the Falcons, 25-14. Haley’s layup with 41 seconds left made it 62-56, and then Shafer nailed a three with four ticks left in the quarter.
Unfortunately, UU was unable to sustain the momentum, hitting just two of its first 11 shot attempts in the fourth. A 3-pointer from Boggs with 3:41 left in the game cut the deficit to eight (74-66), but that was as close as UU would get down the stretch.
UU returns to the Grimes Center for a 2 p.m. MEC matchup with Wheeling Jesuit on Saturday. The Cardinals defeated the Blue Knights in the MEC opener back on Nov. 21, by a final score of 88-61.
