GAMBIER, Ohio – Behind 7-of-11 three-point shooting in the second half, the Mount Vernon Nazarene Cougars (11-4) erased a halftime deficit and prevailed 66-57 against the Kenyon Ladies basketball team on Monday afternoon. The loss snapped Kenyon's eight-game unbeaten streak in the process.
 
The Cougars hit 55 percent from the three-point line during the game, the highest percentage allowed by the Ladies this season. Conversely, Kenyon shot 18.2 percent from downtown, its second-lowest mark.
 
Sophomore Paige Matijasich poured in a game-high 22 points and also collected four rebounds and three steals. First-year Ellie Schaub came off the bench and had her best game this season with 12 points, seven rebounds and four steals. Additionally, Ifeoma Archimalo contributed eight points and grabbed four rebounds while Jessica Gerber tallied seven points and four assists.
 
After giving up the game's first bucket – a three-ball by MVNU's Taylor Gregory – the Ladies responded with a 13-2 run to go up eight points.
 
Kenyon hit six of 12 shots and took a 13-5 lead after Schaub scored from around the free-throw line at the 3:41 mark. By the end of the period, the Ladies had an 18-13 lead.
 
In the second, the Ladies pushed further ahead at about the midway point of the quarter. Gerber found Matijasich at 5:05 and the Pickerington, Ohio native's jumper sailed through moving the score to 30-21. The Cougars were able to get the score closer, though, as an and-one conversion from Dani Ellerbrock brought the tally to 32-28 at the break.
 
Mount Vernon Nazarene then turned up the heat on the Ladies in the third. The visitors battled back by hitting all but one of its six three-point shots. Gregory and Natalie Carpenter each drained a pair while Sierra Basista tallied another. On the other side, the Ladies couldn't find the same offensive rhythm, hitting just 2-of-14 from the field. Heading to the fourth, Kenyon led 48-47.
 
About two minutes into the final quarter, each team had traded the lead back and forth. A couple moments later with the score tied at 55, Gregory hit another three-pointer moving the count to 58-55, MVNU. The Ladies' next two possessions resulted in turnovers and the Cougars got another bucket from Elizabeth Fee.
 
Kenyon was unable to rally back as they scored just two free throws and were 0-for-10 from the field in the final eight minutes of the game.
 
The Ladies will now break for the winter holiday and return to action on December 29 against Franklin College during the Capital University Holiday Tournament in Columbus.