A solid mix of timely shot-making and a stout defensive performance helped the Malone University women's basketball team secure a 65-52 victory over Notre Dame College Wednesday night in South Euclid. The win marked the first of the season for the Pioneers (1-2) and the first for rookie head coach Selana Reale.
 
Recap
Notre Dame (2-1) took its only lead of the game with a first-minute layup before Malone answered with a 10-0 run that featured three-pointers by Ellen Doyle and Naomi Grandison. The Falcons would close to within one point before Malone ended the first quarter with six straight points.
 
The Pioneers scored the first eight points of the second quarter as back-to-back triples by Sydney Wentling and Mikayla Poole capped a 14-0 run which put Malone up 24-9. The Pioneers maintained their double-digit advantage for nearly the duration of the second quarter and went into the break leading 35-21 after Grandison canned a buzzer-beating trey just before half.
 
By halftime, Malone was shooting 48.1% (13-of-27) while Notre Dame, who came in scoring 76 points per game in their first two wins, was just 7-of-29 (24.1%) from the field. Outside of All-Conference guard Seina Adachi, who was 6-for-13, the rest of NDC was 1-for-16 in the first 20 minutes.
 
In the early parts of the third, the Falcons picked it up offensively and eventually cut the deficit to just seven points (38-31) midway through the quarter. However, a floater in the paint by Robin Campbell and another three-ball by Grandison halted the Falcons' momentum and put Malone back in front by 12 points and they stayed in front by double-digits for the rest of the game.
 
Game Highlights
-Malone led by as many as 20 points (63-43) late in the game before NDC closed the contest on a 9-2 run.
-The Pioneers finished the game 25-of-51 (49.0%) from the field and 11-of-26 (42.3%) from the three-point line.
-Notre Dame shot 33.3% (22-of-66) overall and just 18.8% (3-for-16) from beyond the arc.
-Malone held a 41-33 rebounding edge, but committed 21 turnovers to Notre Dame's 10.
-The Falcons outscored Malone 17-8 off of turnovers, but the Malone bench outscored NDC's 25-17.
 
Malone Individual Highlights
-Of those 25 bench points, 17 came from Sydney Wentling who did all of her damage in just 22 minutes. She was 5-of-6 from the field, 4-of-5 from three, and 3-for-4 at the free throw line.
-Naomi Grandison chipped in with 15 points, including three threes, and eight rebounds
-Robin Campbell finished with 13 points, a game-high 11 rebounds, three assists, a block, and a steal. The double-double was the first of her career.
-Mikayla Poole collected eight points and a pair of assists off the bench.
 
Notre Dame Individual Highlights
-Seina Adachi (12-23 FG) scored a game-high 29 of the Falcons' 52 points and had five steals.
-Katie Karalic tallied four points, seven assists, seven rebounds, three blocks, and two steals.
 
Up Next
Malone will return home this Saturday, November 17th to take on Seton Hill University at 2:00 pm.