Box Score SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio  --  Senior guard Rachel Johnson (Frederick, Md./Frederick) scored 17 points and sophomore guard Cara Mason (Monrovia, Md./Urbana) added 16 to lead Shepherd University to a 72-61 win over Notre Dame College in MEC women's basketball action at Notre Dame on Thursday.

Johnson connected on 8-of-14 shots from the floor with a 1-of-5 effort from three-point range. She added two assists, two boards, and a game-high six steals.

Mason hit on 5-of-12 field goals with a 1-of-2 effort from beyond the arc. She was 5-of-5 from the foul line. Mason also contributed a game-high five assists.

Senior guard Briana Vaden (Stockton, Calif./McNair/San Joaquin Delta College) added 13 points and five rebounds, while senior center Gabby Flinchum (North Potomac, Md./Wootton) had nine points ,four boards, and three blocked shots.

Senior guard Alex Weakland (Camp Hill, Pa./Cumberland Valley) grabbed a team-high six rebounds.

Martha Nagbe led Notre Dame with 17 points and six rebounds. Kelsey Miller added eight points and a game-high seven rebounds.

Shepherd went on an 11-0 run midway through the first half to take a 23-14 advantage and held a 36-31 lead at the break.

Shepherd used a 7-0 run to take a 56-55 lead with on a jumper by Vaden with 8:39 left in the game. The Rams added a pair of 7-0 runs later in the contest to help secure the victory.

Shepherd shot 49.2percent (29-59) from the floor with a 30.8 percent effort (4-13) from three-point range for the game. The Rams shot 83.3 percent (10-12) from the charity stripe.

Notre Dame connected on 38.9 percent (21-54) from the floor with a 21.1 percent (4-19) performance from beyond the arc. The Falcons hit on 65.2 percent (15-23) of their free throws.

The Falcons had a 38-32 edge on the boards. The Rams forced 29 turnovers and committed 23.

Shepherd improves to 15-7, 12-4 in MEC action, while Notre Dame College falls to 13-9, 9-7. The Rams return to action on Saturday when they travel to Urbana for a 2 p.m. contest.