SAN RAFAEL, Calif. – In spite of a 33-point performance from
Sandra Ikeora, the Dominican University of California women's basketball team suffered an 80-72 loss to Notre Dame de Namur on Friday night.
The seventh-place Penguins held a 53-50 lead at the end of the third quarter but the fourth-place Argonauts rallied to capture the eight-point victory. The result drops Dominican to 13-11 overall and 9-8 in the PacWest. NDNU improves to 12-11 overall and 10-6 in league play.
The Penguins outrebounded the Argonauts 40-35, including a team-high 15 boards from Ikeora that completed her 16th double-double of the season. The 33 points from the junior forward represented the second-highest total for her in 2016-17.
Joining Ikeora in double figures were
Carly Holboke and
Alanna Scott, who posted totals of 12 and 10 respectively.
Vanessa Cruz dished out a team-high six assists off the bench.
The two teams traded the lead in the first quarter, until the Penguins established a seven-point margin on a few different occasions. A layup by
Natalie Diaz returned it to that mark at 1:05 but a late basket from NDNU brought the first quarter final score to 15-10.
With a three-pointer from Scott early in the second quarter, the Penguins' advantage widened to double digits and remained there for the majority of the period. Ikeora dropped in the final basket and heading into the break, Dominican led 36-22.
The Argonauts chipped away at the lead in the third quarter, putting together a 10-2 run and pulling to within 53-50 heading into the fourth frame. The two squads traded the lead once again early in the fourth but the visitors stole it for good at the 5:43 mark when Emily Tevez knocked down a three-pointer.
Alexis Price scored the final basket for Dominican but the Argonauts wrapped up the 80-72 result.
Also as part of Friday's PacWest doubleheader at the Conlan Center, the Dominican Athletics celebrated "Willie Long Night" as the department honored the work of Willie Long, a facilities and maintenance employee celebrating his 45th year at the university.
Friday marked the first of four home games to conclude the regular season. Up next will be a 5:30 p.m. matchup on Thursday against Concordia.
