Women's Basketball | 11/19/2016 4:56:00 PM

Box Score
WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The West Liberty University women's basketball team battled all the way back from a 16-point deficit but couldn't sustain the momentum here Saturday afternoon as Notre Dame (Ohio) claimed a 79-65 win at the ASRC.
Coach Lynn Ullom's youthful Hilltoppers (0-4, 0-1) struggled to find the range in the early going and the Falcons (1-2, 1-0) took advantage, carrying a 12-0 surge into the early minutes of the second quarter to turn a 15-12 edge into a 27-12 lead.
The margin ultimately stretched to 32-16 on a power post move by 6-2 senior Kelsey Miller with just over 8 minutes remaining in the first half but that's when the shots started to drop for the hosts.
Three different Hilltoppers drained 3-point bombs and WLU got its transition game going as the lead began to shrink.
Johnie Olkosky knocked down a 3-pointer to trim the deficit to 39-35 as the clock ticked past the 2-minute mark and McKenna Shives made it a one-possession game at the half with another 3-pointer that closed the gap to 41-38.
Olkosky opened the second half with another 3-pointer to forge a 41-41 tie and the teams traded hoops for the next few minutes before Olkosky fed Shives for an open 3-pointer and a 49-48 West Liberty lead as the third-quarter clock ticked under 5 minutes.
Unfortunately for the Black and Gold, the visitors were able to answer.
A foul line jumper by Jessie Stout put the Falcons ahead to stay, 50-49, and back-to-back 3-pointers from Ciara Reed along with two more hoops from Miller fueled a 13-0 run that sent Notre Dame into the fourth quarter with a comfortable 61-49 lead.
"We were just a little more active and alert when we were putting our run together," Ullom said. "We were able to force some turnovers and get some long rebounds. That led to us getting some good looks in transition from the 3-point line and we were able to knock down some shots and take the lead.
"But then we lost focus a little bit and gave their two best shooters wide-open looks, which turned a one-point lead into a 12-point deficit."
The Hilltoppers closed the gap to 8 points on several occasions down the stretch but couldn't get over the hump and Notre Dame was able to walk off the court with the win.
Olkosky finished with 6 3-pointers and 20 points to pace WLU while Shives added 4 bonus bombs and 12 points. Freshman Olivia Belknap provided a nice spark with 12 points off the bench before leaving the court with an injury late in the game.
Miller had a huge game for the Falcons with 30 points and 17 rebounds. Stout and Reed joined her in double-figures with 12 and 11 points, respectively.
"With the youth on our team, consistency is going to be our biggest issue," Ullom said. "There have been times these first few games when we've shown signs of being a capable team but until we can define our roles and settle on a consistent rotation, we're going to be a work in progress."
The West Liberty women host Urbana on Monday in a 5:30 p.m. game at the ASRC.