Box Score

Lourdes closed out its four-game homestand on Thursday evening with a 64-55 victory over Michigan-Dearborn at Tam-o-Shanter to move the Gray Wolves back to the .500 mark on the season while picking up their first Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference victory of the season.
 
The Gray Wolves used a huge 61-28 advantage on the glass, pulling down 22 offensive rebounds which led to a 15-0 edge in second chance points on the evening.  Tarynn Hampton (Saint Louis, Mo./Alton H.S.) and Tiffani Blackman (Toledo, Ohio/Start H.S.) both registered double-doubles while combining for 16 offensive boards.
 
Hampton finished the game with 14 points and 25 rebounds, with 10 coming on the offensive end of the floor.  Blackman scored 10 points and added 14 rebounds for the Gray Wolves.
 
"We needed to own the boards tonight and we did just that," head coach Karen McConnell said after the victory.
 
Despite the rebounding margin, Michigan-Dearborn, with just eight players dressed, hung around for 30 minutes before Lourdes went on an 8-0 run to push the lead to double figures for the first time, 54-44, with 5:17 to play in the game following a three-pointer by Courtney Slepko (Seven Hills, Ohio/Normandy H.S.).
 
The run seemed to put the game out of reach as Lourdes led by 7-12 points the rest of the way.
 
"You have to give Michigan-Dearborn credit," McConnell said.  "They worked their butts off out there."
 
The game was tied at 32 at halftime following a Wolverine triple as the buzzer sounded.  Neither team led by more than five points in the opening 20 minutes which saw six ties and nine lead changes.  Michigan-Dearborn scored the first four points out of the locker room before Lourdes went on a 9-0 run to take the lead for good, 41-36, at the 14:13 mark.
 
Lourdes lead grew to eight before the Wolverines made a run of their own, closing to within two, 46-44 at the nine-minute mark.  That is when the Gray Wolves went on the 8-0 spurt to take control.
 
Lauren Tilden (Ravenna, Ohio/Ravenna H.S.) and Emily Orsini (Akron, Ohio/Archbishop Hoban H.S.) each added 11 points, giving the Gray Wolves four players in double figures.  Tilden also grabbed eight rebounds and had six assists in 37 minutes of work.  Orsini drained three triples while coming off of the bench.
 
"Lauren continues to play a complete game for us with her scoring, ball handling, and defense," McConnell added.  "Emily Orsini gave us a huge spark off of the bench at a critical time."
 
The Gray Wolves held Michigan-Dearborn to just 25.8% shooting in the second half.
 
Jalissa Williams led Michigan-Dearborn (0-5, 0-2 WHAC) with 15 points and 10 rebounds while Brittany Teets added 12 points and five steals.  The Wolverines committed just seven turnovers in the game while forcing 18 Gray Wolves miscues.
 
Lourdes (3-3, 1-1) will take to the road on Saturday afternoon, traveling to Grand Rapids, Mich. to battle the second-ranked Davenport Panthers.  Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. at the DU Student Center.