ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. – The Ohio Dominican women's basketball team ran its record to 3-0 to start the year as the Panthers rallied in the second half and staved off host Molloy (N.Y.) down the stretch for the 60-56 road win on Wednesday evening in the first game of their New York holiday excursion.

The 3-0 start is the best since 2007-08 when ODU rattled off nine straight to begin the season, while Molloy suffered its first loss at home, falling to 3-4 overall.

After a three-pointer put the Lions up 35-28 with 13:53 to go in the second, the Panthers' seniors put together a 15-1 run over the next 1:50 to take their first lead since 6-4 in the first as Katy Rasor (Grove City, OH) lined up three of her game-high five triples during the stretch. Abby Glover (Centerville, OH) sparked the run with a lay-in and Meredith Fox (Springboro, OH) added a jumper and capped the game-clinching scoring spurt with a pair of free throws.

Molloy closed to within 46-44 on a couple of free throws at the 7:12 mark, but could get no closer as ODU kept the lead around a six-point cushion, eventually pushing it to eight, 56-48, with just under three to play as Rasor nailed her career-best tying fifth trey and Glover split a pair at the charity stripe.

Along with forcing the Lions into just 32.2 percent (19-of-59) shooting and 21.1 percent (4-of-19) from long range, the Panthers outrebounded Molloy 50-36, including 16-9 on the offensive glass and held them to just four second-chance points. Glover and sophomore Katelyn Stuckey (Millersburg, OH) combined for one of the best rebounding efforts in years by an ODU backcourt as Stuckey pulled down a collegiate-best 17 and Glover was one off her career-high with 13. Sophomore Christina Pentaudi (Dayton, OH) set her career-high with seven boards, while Fox was also just one shy of her best with eight.

The Panthers had four players reach double-figures in the scoring column, led by Rasor for the second time this year with 15 points as she is now a combined 10-of-21  (47.6 percent) from behind the arc in the two road wins. Glover added 12 points for the first double-double by a Panther this year, while freshman Paige Stought (Pickerington, OH) paced the ODU bench with a career-best 11 on 5-of-8 shooting and Fox chipped in 10 for her third straight outing in double digits.

"Everyone came together and we were able to really lock down defensively in the second half," said head coach Nathan Bellman. "This was definitely a team win with everyone contributing. I am more than proud of the girls, especially the way we were able to hang tight and come together over the final five minutes."

With Thanksgiving off, the Panthers wrap up the holiday trip at noon on Friday as ODU takes on the New York Institute of Technology, another East Coast Conference (ECC) foe, in Old Westbury.

Contact: Bryan Desch
deschb@ohiodominican.edu