The Malone University women's basketball team held on late for a nail-biting 60-59 victory over visiting Ursuline College Thursday night in Osborne Hall. The Pioneers failed to score a point over the final four minutes and survived a missed last-second shot by the Arrows as they improved to 14-13 on the season and 12-9 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
 
Senior guard Chrissie Vaughan, who came into the game needing just one point to reach 1,000 for her career, surpassed the milestone late in the first quarter in the midst of a Pioneer scoring run. Vaughan, who is second all-time at Malone in career made three-pointers with 239, fittingly unlocked the achievement with a deep ball.
 
Recap
Ursuline (8-19, 7-14 G-MAC) grabbed what would be its largest lead of the game, 5-2, in the early going before an Ellen Doyle layup sparked an 8-0 Pioneer run. Following an Ursuline basket which closed the score to 12-9 later in the period, a high-arching three-pointer by Vaughan ignited Malone to an 11-0 run capped off by another three in transition by fellow senior Naomi Grandison. The Pioneers' 23-9 advantage marked their largest of the game.
 
The Arrows trimmed the 14-point deficit to eight points by halftime as they outscored Malone 14-10 in the second period and trailed 33-25 going into the half. Ursuline then outscored Malone 20-15 in the third quarter and narrowed the deficit to one point on two separate occasions, but both times Malone had an answer. A short jumper by Vaughan in the closing seconds of the third sent the Pioneers to the fourth leading 48-45.
 
The Pioneers increased their lead to eight points three different times during the final stanza, but the Arrows, who forced six Pioneer turnovers during the quarter, kept within striking distance. After a three-pointer by freshman Mikayla Poole gave Malone a 60-52 lead with 4:03 remaining, the Pioneers were shut out for the rest of the game.
 
Ursuline fought back and closed the gap to 60-59 on an old-fashioned three-point play with 1:20 left to go. After a missed layup by Malone and an Ursuline turnover, the Pioneers took control of the ball with 28 seconds to play but never had the chance to ice the game at the free-throw line. The Arrows trapped Malone and forced a turnover, giving them the ball with 17 seconds left and a chance at the last shot.
 
With a foul to give and the clock winding down, Malone committed a smart foul with six seconds left, pressing the Arrows into a rushed inbounds near midcourt. As the clock neared zero, Ursuline's leading scorer Julia Cardwell tossed up a mid-range prayer, but came up well short. The Pioneers and their fans exhaled a deep sigh of relief as they held on for the conference victory.
 
Game Highlights
-With the win, Malone avenged a 64-42 loss to the Arrows last month on the road.
-Neither team shot particularly well as both finished under 40%.
-Malone made 21-of-55 (38.2%) from the field and 7-of-26 (26.9%) from three-point range.
-Ursuline countered with 24-of-64 (37.5%) shooting, including a 5-for-16 (31.3%) mark from deep.
-Both teams committed 17 turnovers and Ursuline held a 14-9 edge in points off of turnovers.
-The Arrows also outrebounded Malone 41-35, including a 14-10 advantage on the offensive glass, and outscored Malone 17-4 in second chances.
-The Pioneers made five more free throws (11-6), proving to be the difference in the game.
 
Malone Individual Highlights
-Chrissie Vaughan finished with a game-high 15 points while becoming the 23rd 1,000-point scorer in Pioneer history. She added four rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a blocked shot.
-Mired in foul trouble for most of the second half, Robin Campbell finished with nine points, five rebounds, two assists, and a steal.
-Naomi Grandison, Ellen Doyle, Paiten Strother, and Mikayla Poole all tallied seven points. Grandison collected a team-high six rebounds while Doyle added two steals and a block.
 
Ursuline Individual Highlights
-Kaylin Burdick led the Arrows with 10 points, seven rebounds, and three steals.
-Emily Poling added 10 points and six boards.
-Bekah Green chipped in with nine points and three steals.
 
Up Next
Malone closes out the regular season on Saturday at home against Lake Erie. Tipoff is slated for 1:00 pm.