Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Director of Athletics Communication, 630-637-5324
NOTRE DAME, Ind. (Nov. 6, 2026) - A fourth-quarter surge from Saint Mary's College (Ind.) propelled the Belles past the North Central College women's basketball team, 85-76, Friday evening inside Angela Athletic & Wellness Complex.
Jocelyn Trotter scored the Cardinals' first basket of the season off an assist from Dolly Smith before Kennedy Hartwig knocked down a three-pointer to give North Central an early lead. The Cardinals used a 10-0 run midway through the opening quarter, highlighted by an old-fashioned three-point play from Ameli Sanchez, and carried an 18-17 advantage into the second period.
After Saint Mary's opened the second quarter with five straight points, Ayla Reddit stopped the run with a basket before the Belles extended their lead to eight. North Central answered with a 10-0 run of its own, fueled by three-pointers from Trotter and Cate Uhren. Hartwig sank three free throws to put the Cardinals back in front, and a late basket from Bella Garcia sent North Central into halftime with a 41-38 lead.
The teams traded momentum throughout the third quarter. Sanchez buried a three-pointer and added a pair of free throws to push the Cardinals ahead by seven at 51-44. North Central maintained its lead through much of the quarter and entered the final period in front, 60-57.
Uhren opened the fourth quarter with a three-pointer, but Saint Mary's responded to take a 67-65 lead with 6:37 to play. Sanchez tied the game at 67-67 before baskets from Biz Daly and Smith gave the Cardinals a 73-69 advantage with 3:38 remaining. The Belles answered with a decisive 9-1 run to regain control. Trotter scored to bring North Central within one possession, but Saint Mary's closed the game on a 5-0 run to secure the season-opening victory.
Sanchez led the Cardinals with 20 points and four rebounds, while Trotter added 15 points and six rebounds. Smith chipped in 12 points and went 6-for-7 from the free-throw line. North Central shot 44.8% from the field, but Saint Mary's connected on 53.2% of its attempts and shot 72.7% in the fourth quarter while outscoring the Cardinals 28-16 over the final 10 minutes.
North Central returns to action next Saturday, traveling to Aurora University for a noon tipoff inside Thornton Gymnasium.
