FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Facing a 53-35 deficit with 6:44 left in the third quarter, the Olivet Nazarene University women's basketball team came back to erase the 18-point deficit to take down the Rochester Warriors in Day 1 of the Indiana Tech Classic Friday evening.

Maggie Cora knocked down a three and Bett O'Neal hit a jumper put the Tigers up 5-0 early, but the Warriors would score 13 unanswered to take a lead over ONU. The lead swelled to double-digits until Olivia Dirkse scored a layup to cut the deficit to eight at the end of the first quarter.

Rochester continued to pour on the pressure, pushing their lead to 15 midway through the second quarter. However, the Tigers were able to swing some momentum in their favor as they headed into the locker room, with Brooklyn Marshall, Anne Peters, Caroline Boehne and Olivia Demosthenes piecing together an 8-2 run to close out the half.

Halftime: Rochester 38, Olivet Nazarene 30

The momentum quickly shifted out of ONU's favor in the early-goings of the second half as the Warriors built themselves a 18-point lead just three minutes into the third quarter. Demosthenes would kickstart a 12-4 run for the Tigers before Dirkse hit a three-pointer to get the lead back down to single-digits heading into the final quarter.

Boehne, a veteran senior out of Hoffman, Ill., scored the Tigers' first seven points of the forth quarter to make it a one-possession ball game. Jamie Finn tied the game up before O'Neal hit a big-time three-point shot to give the Tigers their first lead since the opening minutes.

The Tigers didn't look back as they would hit their free throws down the stretch to put away the game and pick up their first win of the campaign 88-80 over Rochester.

GAME VITALS

Final: Olivet Nazarene 88, Rochester 80

Records: Olivet Nazarene 1-1 | Rochester 0-2

Location: Schaefer Center | Fort Wayne, Ind. | Indiana Tech

QUICK HITS

- ONU outscored Rochester 58-42 in the second half.

- The Tigers limited the Warriors to just one three-point basket in 19 attempts.

- ONU scored 26 points off turnovers.

- Demosthenes and Boehne led the team with 15 points each.

- Boehne recorded her first double-double of the season with 15 points and 13 rebounds.

WHATS NEXT?

The Tigers will wrap up play in the Indiana Tech Classic tomorrow, squaring off against the host Indiana Tech. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m.

--ONU—

*Contact: Evan Wild, Sports Information Director, ewwild@olivet.edu