Box Score EAST STROUDSBURG, N.Y. – Danielle Ledrich, Lauren Macer, and Martha Nagbe combined for 54 points Saturday evening as Notre Dame defeated Concordia (N.Y.), 72-61, in front of 65 fans at Koehler Fieldhouse. (Box)
 
The win moves Notre Dame to 1-4 on the young season while Concordia dips to 1-4. It was the first win over the Clippers as the two programs met for the first time.
 
Concordia, picked to finish sixth in the preseason Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference North Division, trailed by 14 points with 4:29 left in the game before rallying to cut the lead to nine, 70-61, on a foul shot by Megan Burns. Courtney Clark was immediately fouled and hit both to put the Falcons back up by 11 to seal the victory.
 
“We have been building on the concepts each day and tonight it carried over as we start to put it together,” head coach Katie Hine said. “Our bench came through tonight, allowing us to get a good win.” 
  
The Falcons used the free throw line as an ally, hitting 10-of-12 in the opening 20 minutes and 15-of-22 overall, including 10-of-10 from Ledrich and Clark. Danielle Ledrich, who finished with a career-high 17 points, finished 8-of-8 from the line.
 
“Danielle (Ledrich) understands and appreciates her role off the bench,” Hine said. “We look for her scoring and she is learning the role. Tonight she provided the needed offensive production.”
 
Ledrich and Macer paced the Falcons in the opening 20 minutes with 10 and seven points, respectively. When the Falcons weren't out and running, they ran their offense through freshman guard Martha Nagbe who found open shooters and had four assists at halftime. She found Macer on the perimeter as she drained a deep three to put Notre Dame in the lead 3-2 in the opening minute.
 
From that lead the Falcons never trailed building a 43-32 halftime lead.
 
Macer finished with 14 points, six rebounds and a game-high four steals from her guard position. And with freshman starter Tiffany Adkins in foul trouble, freshman Molly Ritz and Shelby Stover played career high 16 and 14 minutes respectively, grabbing eight and six rebounds each.
 
“It was good to get all four freshman quality minutes tonight,” Hine said. "I believe all of them played at least nine minutes."
 
Those freshman combined for 26 rebounds (nine offensive) and 21 points. Molly Ritz led the team with eight rebounds in 16 minutes of action, while Shelby Stover collected six boards (four offensive) in 14 minutes.  
 
Along with Ledrich, Ritz, and Stover led the Falcons bench as they dominated their second straight opponent, outscoring the Clippers 31-5 and outrebounded their opposition 32-10.
 
The Falcons fired out of the gates making back-to-back 3-point baskets, and finished the game shooting 5-for-14(.350 percent) from behind the 3-point arc.
 
The Falcons defense forced the Clippers into 19 turnovers, converting those turnovers into 24 points. They also dominated in the paint outscoring Concordia 34-22 and turned their 22 offensive rebounds into 18 points.
 
The Falcons are back in action Sunday in the conclusion of the 47^th Annual East Stroudsburg Classic against Georgian Court (N.J.), at Koehler Fieldhouse. Game time is 3 p.m., ET.


NOTES FROM THE NEST....

CONCORDIA: Saturday's win marked the third in four tries over a school bearing a Concordia name. The Falcons defeated Concordia (Ill.), 76-71, Jan. 4, 2006, Concordia (Mich.), 89-47, Nov. 13, 2004, while they lost 77-63 to Concordia (Min.), Nov. 18, 2006.