Women's Basketball Drops Road Contest to No. 2 IWU at Luckey Arena

MARION, Ind. —  The Mount Vernon Nazarene University women's basketball team (14-12, 6-10 CL) hit the road for a Crossroads League matchup against the No. 2 Indiana Wesleyan University Wildcats (25-1, 15-1 CL) on Saturday, February 15, at Luckey Arena.

The Lady Cougars came out strong, opening the game with a 15-4 run over IWU by the 5:15 mark. However, IWU responded with a dominant offensive surge, tying the game at 19-19 with 1:33 left in the first quarter. By the end of the period, IWU held a 24-21 lead over MVNU.

In the second quarter, the Wildcats surged with an 8-0 run, pushing their lead to 32-21 over MVNU at 6:33. The Lady Cougars responded with a 5-0 run, cutting the deficit to 32-26 at 5:49. Both teams exchanged baskets for the remainder of the half, but MVNU couldn't overcome IWU's lead, heading into halftime trailing 45-34.

MVNU started the third quarter strong, scoring the first two baskets to narrow the gap to 45-38. However, IWU responded with a dominant stretch, pulling ahead 65-47 by the end of the period. The Lady Cougars continued to fight in the fourth, putting together an 11-4 run to cut the deficit to 69-58 with 4:42 remaining. Despite their efforts, MVNU couldn't close the gap, ultimately falling to No. 2 IWU 81-67.

Inside the Box Score

MVNU shot 43.4% from the field, making 23 of 53 attempts, while hitting 23.1% from beyond the arc, sinking 3 of 13 three-pointers.

IWU recorded a 42.6% shooting rate, sinking 29 of 68 field goal attempts, while also knocking down 7 of 23 from three-point range at 30.4%.

The IWU bench delivered a significant boost, outscoring MVNU 26-6. Dominating the boards with a 37-27 rebounding edge, IWU capitalized with 16 second-chance points.

Teresa Maggio - 19 points (7-14 FG, 5-6 FT), 2 steals, 1 rebound.

Serenitee Johnson - 14 points (6-11 FG, 2-3 FT), 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 steal.

Emily Walker - 13 points (4-6 FG, 2-4 3PT, 3-3 FT), 6 rebounds, 5 assists.

Angela Roshak - 9 points (4-6 FG, 1-1 FT), 5 rebounds.

What's Next

The Lady Cougars will travel for their final road game of the regular season against No. 12 Marian University Knights in Indianapolis, Ind., on Wednesday, February 19. Tip-off is set for 5:00 p.m. at the Physical Education Center.

Mount Vernon Nazarene University is a private, four-year, intentionally Christian teaching university for traditional age students, graduate students, and working adults. With a 327-acre main campus in Mount Vernon, Ohio, MVNU emphasizes academic excellence, spiritual growth, and service to community and church. MVNU offers an affordable education both in-seat and online to nearly 2,100 students from 33 states and 26 foreign countries.