Lourdes held off a late University of Michigan-Dearborn rally on Saturday afternoon as the Gray Wolves defeated the Wolverines 91-86 inside the Russell J. Ebeid Recreation Center for their first Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference victory of the season.
 
"Every conference team is going to come and compete," head coach Tandy Bradford said afterwards.  "We knew they had talent in areas to score and to drive.  Our depth really showed today both in being able to step up and fill in when players got in foul trouble and when we needed defense.  It's a group that wants to win and they love playing together.  We will continue to grow to be more consistent in a lot of areas."
 
Four Gray Wolves finished in double figures, led by Grace Ryan (Temperance, Mich./Bedford H.S.) and Mercedes Wagner (Sherwood, Ohio/Fairview H.S.), both of whom came off the bench to score 19 points.  Zaria Bridgewater (Detroit, Mich./Henry Ford Academy) added 11 points as the Lourdes reserves scored 54 points on the day.  Emma Pedroza (Napoleon, Ohio/Napoleon H.S.) tallied 10 points as well.
 
Lourdes started fast, scoring 15 straight points to take a 17-4 lead midway through the opening period.  Michigan-Dearborn responded, closing to within six before a Bridgewater basket gave the Gray Wolves a 23-15 lead after 10 minutes.
 
A 12-0 run by the Wolverines early in the second allowed Michigan-Dearborn to pull in front 32-26.  The Gray Wolves still trailed by six with two minutes to play before halftime but scored the final 10 points heading into the locker room, taking a 41-37 lead into the break.
 
Lourdes increased its lead to as many as 13, 66-53, late in the third before the Wolverines cut their deficit to eight heading into the final stanza.  The Gray Wolves led by as many as 11 in the fourth, and maintained a 10-point advantage, 85-75, before the visitors made a late run.  Six straight points cut the lead to four with a minute to play, but Lourdes held off the Wolverines down the stretch.
 
The Gray Wolves shot 46.5% from the floor on the afternoon and made 22-of-30 (73.3%) free throws.  Michigan-Dearborn (1-5, 0-2 WHAC) shot 50.8% from the field but committed 27 turnovers and went just 11-of-23 (47.8%) from the charity stripe.  Lourdes converted the 27 Wolverine miscues into 33 points.
 
India Grissom led Michigan-Dearborn with 19 points while Abby Fullerton added 17 more.
 
Lourdes (3-2, 1-1) takes to the road for its next three games, beginning on Wednesday evening with a trip to Adrian, Mich. to face Siena Heights.  Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. inside SHU Fieldhouse.