SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio – The West Liberty University women’s basketball saw their three-game winning streak snapped here Tuesday night as Notre Dame (Ohio) handed the Black and Gold a 74-70 setback at Mueller Gym.

Coach Kyle Cooper’s Hilltoppers (3-2, 1-1) traded leads with the host Falcons (3-2, 2-0) through 9 ties and 11 lead changes through the first three quarters before a Notre Dame burst put West Liberty on the comeback trail.

Leading 47-44 following a Grace Faulk 3-pointer at 2:30 of the third quarter, the Hilltoppers hit a dry spell just as the Falcons began to find the range.

Back-to-back baskets by NDC’s Alana Ellis capped a 12-2 run and put the hosts on top, 56-49, with just under 8 minutes to play.

The Hilltoppers slowly whittled away at the lead and finally got it down to a one-possession game, 69-66, on a conventional 3-point play by Karly McCutcheon with exactly one minute remaining. The Falcons went 1-for-2 from the foul line and Audrey Tingle drove to the hoop to make it 70-68 with 23 seconds left but Notre Dame hit four straight free throws on the next two possessions to put the game away.

It was another balanced scoring night for the West Liberty women. Tingle led the way with a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double while Faulk added a dozen points off the bench. Bailee Smith added 11 points, McCutcheon finished with 10 tallies and Arriana Manzay contributed 10 points and 7 rebounds.

Ellis poured in a game-high 28 points to lead all scorers for the Falcons. Jada Marone had 15 points and Tamia Ridley posted a double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds.

The Hilltoppers will be idle over the Thanksgiving holiday but return to action on Dec. 1 with a trip to West Virginia Wesleyan for a 5:30 p.m. game.