CINCINNATI, Ohio — The Mount St. Joseph women's basketball team battled through four quarters on Saturday afternoon but came up short in a 70–55 setback against Hanover College in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference play.
The Lions faced an early challenge as Hanover set the tone in the opening quarter, limiting MSJ's offensive rhythm and building an early advantage. Mount St. Joseph worked to settle in offensively, finding better looks as the game progressed, but struggled to close the gap before halftime.
Coming out of the break, the Lions showed renewed energy on the offensive end. MSJ posted its most productive quarters in the second half, consistently attacking the basket and generating points from multiple contributors. Despite the improved scoring pace, Hanover was able to answer each push, maintaining control throughout the third quarter.
Mount St. Joseph continued to compete until the final buzzer, putting together another solid offensive stretch in the fourth quarter, but the early deficit proved too much to overcome. The Lions were unable to string together the stops needed to make a late run, allowing Hanover to secure the conference victory.
Sam Price led the way for MSJ with a strong all-around performance, pacing the Lions in scoring with 15 going 7 of 11 from the field.
The Lions will look to rebound next week as they head north to take on the Bluffton Beavers on Wednesday. This will be the second matchup of the season between these two, the Lions won the game back on December 3rd, 53-48.
