Lourdes began its penultimate homestand of the season on Saturday afternoon, dropping a 61-53 decision to the University of Northwestern Ohio inside the Russell J. Ebeid Recreation Center.
 
"This loss is disappointing," head coach Tandy Bradford said afterwards.  "We didn't execute as a team with full focus on what our goals, roles, and expectations are as a program.  When we work together in full force in every aspect of the game we are in line with where we expect to be as a program.  Today we underachieved in too many areas to get a win against a talented team that wanted it more."
 
The game saw 10 ties and nine lead changes with both teams very similar statistically.  The Gray Wolves shot a 37.7% clip from the floor while UNOH was at 36.8% and Lourdes committed 13 turnovers to the Racers' 11.  UNOH held a 45-38 advantage on the glass though, including a 14-10 edge on the offensive boards.
 
Northwestern Ohio built a five-point lead with just over three minutes to play in the opening period before the Gray Wolves scored the final five points of the stanza to pull even at 17 after 10 minutes.  Lourdes made it a 7-0 run with the first basket of the second to take a two-point lead, its largest on the day, only for the Racers to respond with six straight points.  The game would be tied at 28 with 2:40 to play before halftime before the visitors scored the final five points heading into the locker room.
 
Lourdes battled back in the third, taking a 38-37 lead on a jumper by Nakiya Sigman (Lima, Ohio/Lima Senior H.S.) with just under five minutes remaining in the quarter.  The Gray Wolves had a one-point lead, 46-45, late in the period before UNOH tallied the last six points to take a 51-46 edge to the fourth.  Another 6-0 run early in the final quarter allowed the Racers to build their largest lead of the game, 59-48, with five minutes to play on the way to the victory.
 
Emma Pedroza (Napoleon, Ohio/Napoleon H.S.) was the only Gray Wolf to finish in double figures, scoring 13 points while Sigman and Macie Stringfellow (Perrysburg, Ohio/Perrysburg H.S.) added nine points each.  Stringfellow also had a team-high seven rebounds.
 
Alysia Lawson led Northwestern Ohio (10-12, 6-10 WHAC) with 23 points while Olivia Thompson added 13 more.  Alayha Allen had a game-high 11 boards for the Racers.
 
Lourdes (7-14, 5-11) will remain home on Wednesday evening as the Gray Wolves host Cornerstone.  Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. inside the Ebeid Rec Center.