SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio –
Nettie Blake's (Jersey City, N.J./Marist) sixth career double-double and
Brittany Batts' (Leesburg, Va./Loudoun County) season-high 19 points helped the No. 10 Gannon women's basketball team hold off upset-minded Notre Dame (Ohio) 64-57 Wednesday night during a non-conference road game.
Although the two programs have not met since the 1994-95 season, the all-time series has traditionally favored the home team. Gannon is 3-0 with a 24.7 scoring margin at the Hammermill Center. Despite now having a 3-1 record on Notre Dame's home floor, the Lady Knights' scoring margin during those games is only 7.8 points. Wednesday's seven-point victory extended Gannon's win streak to six games, representing its third streak of at least six games during the last two seasons.
The first 20 minutes featured six ties as Notre Dame held the lead for the majority of the half, but the Falcons could never extend their advantage past six points.
It only took one large run by Gannon to assume control late in the half. Trailing 23-18, the Lady Knights ended the half on a 16-5 run.
Amanda Berchtold (Erie, Pa./Mercyhurst Prep) hit a jumper to forge the game's third tie with 2:41 showing on the clock. It was the beginning of nine straight points.
Batts followed Berchtold's jumper with a three-point bomb. Blake and
Jen Papich (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel) added two free throws each to push the Gannon lead to 34-27. A Falcon free throw with four seconds left capped the first-half scoring and sent the Lady Knights to the break with a 34-28 lead.
Gannon's lead reached double digits at 46-35 after another three-pointer by Batts and an old-fashion three-point play by Papich. Batts' fifth triple followed by a Blake jumper in the paint gave the Lady Knights their biggest lead of the evening at 64-46 with 2:26 remaining. Notre Dame then rallied with the final nine points of the game to account for the 64-57 final score.
Batts led all Gannon scorers with a season-high 19 points, hitting five three-pointers and converting all four free throw attempts. The sophomore guard has now reached double digits in five consecutive games.
Blake recorded her second double-double of the season and the sixth of her career with 13 points and 12 rebounds. The sophomore forward led an inside game that helped Gannon out-score Notre Dame 32-8 in the paint. Papich completed the double-digit group with 16 points.
Gannon shot 41.1 percent (23-56) from the field, 25 percent (5-20) from three-point range and 86.7 percent (13-15) from the free throw line.
Lauren Macer topped all scorers on both teams with 22 points for the Falcons. Danielle Ledrich added 11 points.
Notre Dame shot 37 percent (17-46) from the floor, 36.4 percent (8-22) from behind the arc and 65.2 percent (15-23) from the charity stripe.
