WEST CHESTER, Pa. – Searching for its second win in a row to open the 2018-19 season the West Chester University women's basketball team (1-1) was back in action on Sunday afternoon against Notre Dame (OH.) (2-0). West Chester kept the game close throughout the afternoon but the visiting Falcons proved to be too much to handle as they topped the Golden Rams by a final score of 81-72.

In the first quarter, both teams played well to keep the game close as the score was knotted at 18-18 heading to the second quarter.

In the second quarter, the teams traded baskets before West Chester allowed Notre Dame to go on a 9-1 run to grab its first true lead of the afternoon at 29-21. However, West Chester quickly responded with four points of its own courtesy of jumpers from Gabrielle Troisi (Norristown, Pa./Pope John Paul II) and Katherine Fisher (Rutledge, Pa./Strath Haven) to trim the deficit to just four making the score 29-25 with 2:32 to play in the first half. West Chester added three more points before the end of the half while allowing its guests to score just four more points to head to the halftime break trailing 33-28.

In the third quarter, the two teams continued to trade baskets as West Chester looked to cut the deficit. West Chester did cut the deficit to just one with slightly over six minutes left in the third when Destiny Jefferson (Scranton, Pa./West Scranton) hit a layup off an assist from Troisi to make the score 39-38. However, Notre Dame was unfazed as the Falcons closed the quarter with a 15-6 run to take a 54-46 lead to the fourth and final quarter of play.

In the fourth quarter, the two sides continued to battle as they had for much of the game as West Chester inched closer while Notre Dame worked to extend its lead. The eight-point advantage the Falcons had built up between the second and third quarters proved to be enough to hold off the West Chester attack as the Falcons picked up the 81-72 victory. West Chester was outscored by just one point in the final stanza (27-26) but the deficit proved to be too much to overcome late in the game.

Troisi had a huge day for West Chester in this contest as she registered her first double-double of the season pouring in a game-high 29 points while also ripping down a game-high 15 rebounds to go along with six assists and four steals in the loss. Fisher and Jefferson both found their way into double-figures as well with 12 points and 10 points, respectively in the loss. The Falcons ended the game with five different players all in double-figures led by Seina Adachi with 21 points to lead the Notre Dame offense.

West Chester ended the game shooting 26-of-67 (38.8 %) from the field while also going 3-for-16 (18.8 %) from long-range and a disappointing 17-for-26 (65.4 %) from the line. Notre Dame was lights out from the charity stripe as the Falcons knocked down 16-of-17 (94.1 %) of their free throws while also shooting a solid 30-for-61 (49.2 %) from the field and 5-for-13 (38.5 %) from deep.

For the first time in 2018, West Chester was out-rebounded as the Golden Rams ripped down 37 rebounds while their guests pulled down 40 rebounds of their own. West Chester did manage to end the game with a plus-five advantage on the offensive glass although they were out-rebounded 29-to-21 on the defensive glass. West Chester also held a 16-11 advantage in points off turnovers although its guests held a 17-14 and 20-15 advantage in both second-chance points and bench points. West Chester also ended the contest with a narrow 40-38 edge in points in the paint as well as a 16-13 advantage in fast-break points.

West Chester will not have to wait very long to get back on the court as the Golden Rams will be back in action on Wednesday night against No. 15 ranked University of the Sciences with that game scheduled to tip-off at 5:30 p.m. inside Hollinger Field House.