After trailing by double figures in the first half, Lourdes closed to within one point in the third period before Ohio Christian responded with a spurt of its own to defeat the Gray Wolves 75-66 on Thursday evening inside of the Maxwell Center in Circleville, Ohio.
 
Macie Stringfellow (Perrysburg, Ohio/Perrysburg H.S.) led Lourdes with 16 points while Emma Pedroza (Napoleon, Ohio/Napoleon H.S.) poured in 15 more, all in the second half.  Maddie Norton (Temperance, Mich./Bedford H.S.) chipped in a season-high eight points for the Gray Wolves.
 
"I'm just disappointed that we couldn't find the grit to finish baskets and get offensive rebounds," head coach Tandy Bradford said afterwards.  "We have to continue to battle on the road."
 
Trailing 14-4 midway through the opening quarter, Lourdes battled by to within four points by the end of the stanza and pulled even at 21 following a Stringfellow jumper with just under seven minutes remaining in the second period.  The Trailblazers went on a 15-1 run over the next five minutes to push the lead back to 14 before the Gray Wolves closed to within 10, 40-30, at the break.
 
An 11-1 run by the Gray Wolves early in the third pulled Lourdes to within one, 44-43, as Lourdes held Ohio Christian without a field goal for more than four minutes to start the second half.  The Trailblazers answered with a 14-2 run of its own to extend the lead back to 13 late in the quarter.  In the fourth, the Gray Wolves were able to climb back to within seven, 66-59, with under four minutes to play, but were unable to get any closer the rest of the way.
 
Rachel Bolyard and Emma Koons led all scorers with 20 points each for Ohio Christian (4-8) while Ashley DeWeese added 18 more.
 
Lourdes (5-8) closes out its four-game road trip on Saturday afternoon as the Gray Wolves travel to New Albany, Ind. to battle Indiana-Southeast.  Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. inside the Activities Building.