Falcons Fall To Hot Shooting Mountain Lions.

The Notre Dame Falcons (10-10 6-8 MEC) lost for the third straight time Saturday, this one a 85-72 loss in Concord, West Virginia.  With the win the Mountain Lions improved to (13-6 9-5 MEC) and won for the sixth time in seven contests.
  The Falcons had three players score in double figures in the defeat. Tyree Gaiter paced the Falcons with 24 points-  Lawrence DeArmond and Will Vorhees each scored 16- while DeArmond added 10 rebounds.  DeArmond and Vorhees combined to go just 11-34 from the field.  NDC shot 39 percent from the field in the game.  They shot a solid 45 percent (14-31) from the 3-point line.  The Falcons shot 67 percent (8-12) from the free throw line.
  The Mountain Lions also had four players tally double figures.  Aaron Miller poured in a game high 23 points- Terry Hopewell and Rob Reed scored 17 points each- Jametrius Wade rounded out the double figure scorers with 11.  The Mountain Lions shot 43 percent from the field in the win. They were 9-18 (50 percent) from the 3-point line, this included 7-11 (64 percent) from the 3-point line in the second half.  Concord shot 69 percent (24-35) at the free throw line.  The Mountain Lions edged the Falcons on the boards 45-39.
  The first half was a low scoring affair for a pair of high powered offenses.  After 14 minutes the game was tied at 18. The Mountain Lions would run off the next seven points and lead by seven (25-18) at the 2:47 mark of the half.  The Falcons would score 11 out of the last 15 points of the half including a pair of Gaiter 3-pointer's, as the game would be knotted at 29 at halftime.
  NDC would take a brief lead (32-31) after a DeArmond 3-pointer but the Mountain Lions would drain the next six shots and go on a 11-0 run to take a 10 point lead (42-32.)  After a Vorhees 3-pointer the Mountain Lions would go on another 9-0 spurt to go up 16 (51-35) with 13:38 to play.  That lead would be to much for NDC to overcome and the Mountain Lions would pick up a hard-fought victory.
  NDC will be back in action Monday night when they have another road tilt.  This one against Virgina Wise.  A team the Falcons beat 80-65 at Murphy Gym back on November 24th.

#10 West Liberty Routs NDC At "The Murph".

The West Liberty Hilltoppers came into Wednesday evening as the 10th ranked team in the country. The next 40 minutes showed why in a 108-74 rout of Notre Dame College at Murphy Gym.  The loss for NDC was only there second of the season at home. A season ago the Falcons defeated West Liberty in West Virginia before a 23 point win by the Hilltoppers at Murphy Gym. Don't think the Hilltoppers didn't forget about that this season. Winning by 35 and 34 points respectively in a season sweep of NDC.
  West Liberty (16-2 11-2 MEC)  got contributions across the board in the big win as eight of the 11 players who saw action scored, including six in double figures.  Seger Bonifant scored 27 to pace the Hilltoppers- Devin Hoehn added 17- CJ Hester scored 15- Zach Grossenbacher had 13- while Indiana Faithful and Brady Arnold added 10 each.
 West Liberty shot 58 percent from the field in the victory.  They shot 33 percent (10-30) from the 3-point line- and- 78 percent (18-23) at the free throw line.  They were +12 on the boards (45-33) and had 18 assists as opposed to just nine turnovers.
  NDC (10-9 6-7 MEC) had a cold shooting night. They were led by four players in double figures on the evening.  Lawrence DeArmond led the way with 21 points- Tyree Gaiter added 14- Will Vorhees posted 13- while Oliver Meggins posted 11.  The Falcons shot 38 percent from the field- 24 percent (7-29) from the 3-point line- and- 75 percent (15-20) at the free throw line.  NDC had 12 assists and 13 turnovers in the defeat.
  The game was close for much of the opening half.  NDC had a brief two point lead in the first two minutes but that would not last long.  West Liberty would lead by as many as 15 in the opening half. They would ultimately take a 11 point lead (59-48) into the locker room.
 Then to open the second half the Hilloppers went on a 18-3 run to put the gam way as they would lead by 26 (77-51) 4:30 minutes in.  They would cruise to the victory from there.  The victory was the 12th time in 18 contests that the Hilltoppers have eclipsed the century mark.
 NDC will be back in action Saturday when they head to West Virginia to take on Concord. tip time is set for 4 PM.

Cards Knock Off Falcons.

If you needed a microcosm of the Notre Dame Falcons season they provided it for you on Saturday night.  NDC lost 78-69 on the road to Wheeling Jesuit.  The same Cardinals team that the Falcons beat by 15 at Murphy Gym.  On this night the Falcons had a nine point halftime lead but could not hang on and lost for the seventh time in eight tries on the road in the campaign.
  NDC (10-8 6-6 MEC) was led by Tyree Gaiter who had a game high 21 points.  Kyauta Taylor added 19- while Lawrence DeArmond posted a 13 point effort.  Will Vorhees whose return sparked a pair of recent Falcons wins had a rough night.  He had seven points-and- nine rebounds, going just 2-14 from the floor in the loss.
 The Falcons shot 36 percent from the floor- 34 percent from the 3-point line- and- 77 percent (13-17) at the free throw line.  They had more turnovers (13) than assists (10) in the defeat.
  The Cardinals (9-7 5-6 MEC) were led by former Mentor star and Ohio Mr.Basketball Justin Fritts with 22 points- Eric Siefert added 18- while Haywood Highsmith notched 14.  The Cards shot 43 percent from the floor- 41 percent from the 3-point line- and- 64 percent (21-33) at the free throw line.  The Cards won the rebounding battle 46-37.  They had 22 assists and 13 turnovers.
   The game got off to a very slow start as both teams had trouble scoring in the early going. After NDC had more than a four minute drought the Cardinals led 15-10 at the 10:46 mark of the opening half.  a 3-pointer by Oliver Meggins would get the Falcons going.  NDC would take a 25-23 lead on a 3-pointer by Taylor at the 5:39 mark.  Fritts would answer with a 3-pointer for the Cardinals to give them the lead back.
 Taylor would then score the next 11 points as NDC would take a 33-26 lead with 2:49 until halftime. The Falcons would ultimately take a nine point lead (35-26)  after a DeArmond basket right before halftime.
  The Cardinals would respond by scoring the first 12 points of the second half to take a 38-35 advantage.  NDC sparked by Gaiter would score the next six points and led by three (41-38.)  The next segment of the game would belong to the Cardinals.  They would lead by six before Gaiter and Taylor would each score to get the Falcons within two (54-52) midway thru the second half.
 A pair of Vorhees free throws for the Falcons would knot the game at 60 at the 7:11 mark.  The Falcons would then go on another scoring drought, this one for about two minutes and the Cards would take a 64-60 lead.  NDC would then go ice cold over the next several minutes and the Cards would build a 10 point lead (71-61) with 1:12 to go. NDC would get to within five but that is as close as they would get.
 NDC will be back in action Thursday night when the fifth ranked Hilltoppers of West Liberty comes to Murphy Gym. Tip time is set for 7:30 PM.
 

Johnson's Perfect Night Lifts NDC To First Road Win.

To say the Notre Dame Falcons have struggled on the road would be the understatement of the year.  Despite being winless on the road before Thursday night the Falcons put a lackluster first half behind them and collected their first road win of the season 85-82 against Urbana at the Warren G.Grimes Center.
 The Falcons (10-7 6-5 MEC) were led by five players in double figures on the evening.  Lawrence DeArmond paced NDC with yet another double-double (22 points and 14 rebounds.)- Kyauta Taylor netted 20- while Tyree Gaiter and Will Vorhees had 13 points each.  Najeeb Johnson came up big off the NDC bench.  He was a perfect five- of- five from the field and two- of- two at the free throw line for his 14 points.  None bigger than his 3-pointer that proved to be the game winner with 14 seconds left.  The Falcons shot 47 percent from the field- but struggled from the 3-point line where they shot just 24 percent (4-of- 17 on the night.)  They had a solid night at the free throw line, shooting 76 percent (25-33.)  They had 14 assists and 13 turnovers.
  The Blue Knights 4-13 (1-10 MEC) had four players in double figures.  Mike Newton poured in 20 to lead the way- Matt Cshuran scored 18- John Summers chipped in 11- while Ognjen Rebic contributed 10.  The Blue Knights shot 47 percent from the field- 45 percent (9-0f-20 from the 3-point line) and were a solid 79 percent (11-14) at the free throw line.  The Blue Knights edged NDC on the boards 36-35.  The Blue Knights had 21 assists and 16 turnovers in the loss.
  The first half saw the Blue Knights jump out to an early lead.  At the 14:17 mark Vorhees would make a layup for NDC and Urbana would lead 15-12.  The next eight minutes the teams would go back and forth but the lead would remain at three (29-26) at the 6:17 mark.  The last six plus minutes the Blue Knights would stretch the lead to nine (39-30) at halftime.
  The Blue Knights would get off to a hot start in the second half and lead by as many as 16 (63-47) with 13:53 to go.  Having not won a road game all season the Falcons looked to be in trouble but on this night they weren't going to let it happen again.
  Six minutes later after a pair of Johnson free throw's NDC would be within seven (69-62) at the 7:53 mark.  The Falcons would get to within six a couple times but they would not get over the hump until inside the three minute mark.
Down 80-74, the Falcons would get a steal and lay-in from Gaiter, followed by a DeArmond bucket off his own missed shot.  Then gaiter would get another steal and lay up that would tie the game at 80. Newton would give the Blue Knights the lead back 82-80 at the 1:29 mark.  Another DeArmond layup would knot the game at 82 with 1:13 left.  Taylor came up big with a blocked shot on the ensuing possession and DeArmond would corral the rebound.  Johnson would nail the 3-pointer off of a perfect feed from Taylor with 14 second left.  The Blue Knights would have a chance to tie it but a deep three was off the mark as the Falcons got a road win.
 NDC will be back in action Saturday when they take on Wheeling Jesuit in another road contest.  Tip time is set for 6 PM. NDC won the first meeting 79-64 back on December 6th at Murphy Gym.

Return of Vorhees Propels NDC Past Glenville State.

The Notre Dame College Falcons got a big lift from Will Vorhees who had missed the last four games due to a knee injury and upset 23rd ranked Glenville State 75-66 at Murphy Gym on Saturday.  The win improved NDC's record to 8-1 at home on the season.  While the loss for GSC was the first time this season the Pioneers have lost two in a row.
  The Falcons (9-7 5-5 MEC) were paced by Lawrence DeArmond with 22 points- seven rebounds- and four assists.  Vorhees posted a double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds.  Tyree Gaiter scored 13 points and dished out five assists- while Kyauta Taylor netted 11.  NDC shot 50 percent (27-54) on the game.  This included a 39 percent day (7-18) from the 3-point line.  The Falcons shot at a 78 percent clip (14-18) at the free throw line.  NDC won the rebounding battle 39-28.  NDC had 11 assists and 14 turnovers in the win.
 The Pioneers (12-4 8-2 MEC) were led by three players in double figures.  Donte Morales scored 15- Brett Morris netted 13- and- Reggie Williams chipped in 12.  The Pioneers shot 42 percent (25-59.)  They struggled from the 3-point line where they shot 26 percent (8-31.)  GSC really struggled at the foul line where they shot 57 percent(8-14.)  They had 14 assists and nine turnovers.
  GSC led for much of the opening half.  The first six minutes were played very evenly and the Pioneers took a slim 10-8 lead.  The Pioneers would then go on a mini spurt to take a eight point lead (18-10) at the 10:58 mark of the opening half.  The Falcons would fight back with the next five points to cut the lead to three (18-15.)   Neither team would make a run for the next several minutes and the Pioneers would lead by five (27-22) at the 4:59 mark of the first half.  NDC would get hot for the remainder of the half as they would make seven of nine shots to close the half. A Gaiter 3-pointer right before the buzzer would give them a 39-36 lead heading into the locker room.
  NDC would carry that momentum into the second half where they would stretch what was a three point lead to 11 (58-47.)   The Falcons would not trail the rest of the way.  GSC would get to within six a couple times but that is as close as they would get.
 NDC will hit the road where they will take on Urbana on Thursday. Tip time is set for 7:30 PM.
 

Perfect No More. Charleston Rolls Past Falcons.

The Notre Dame Falcons dug themselves an early hole and could never recover.  The result was the first home loss of the season for NDC.  Charleston would come out on top 82-66 on Monday night at Murphy Gym.
  The Golden Eagles (11-4 6-3 MEC) were led by five players in double figures on the night.  Chris Evans paced the Golden Eagles with 18 points- while Jevonte Hughes contributed a double-double (15 points and 15 rebounds.)  Tino Ditrapano and Aleksander Kesic posted 12 points each- while Cameron Dozier scored 11.  The Golden Eagles shot 47 percent from the field and 41 percent from the 3-point line.  UC was a solid 85 percent (17-20) at the free throw line.  They easily won the rebounding battle 45-30.  They had 12 assists and 12 turnovers.
  NDC (8-7 4-5 MEC) got 22 points from Lawrence DeArmond- the only other double digit scorer was Jay Banyasz with 12.  The Falcons played a third straight game without Will Vorhees (knee) and it really showed up on the glass.  The Falcons are operating right now with a seven man rotation and were limited more on Monday as Tyree Gaiter could only play 24 minutes due to foul trouble.  Gaiter who came into the game averaging 23.1 points a game was limited to just five by the Golden Eagles before fouling out with about three minutes remaining.  The Falcons shot 41 percent from the field and 39 percent from the 3-point line.  They only got to the foul line six times and only made three (50 percent.)  The Falcons had 12 assists and seven turnovers in the loss.
   Charleston jumped out of the gates quickly and would take a 21-7 lead five and a half minutes into this one.  The next six minutes would see the Golden Eagles stretch the lead to 16 (29-13) at the 8:30 mark of the opening half.
  The lead would be 15 (33-18) before the Falcons would go on a spurt to cut the lead to seven just before halftime.  After a timeout UC would run a set play and get a big 3-pointer that would stretch the lead back out to 10 (42-32) at the break.
  The Falcons came out hot in the second half.  Oliver Meggins and DeArmond would knock down a pair of 3-pointer's in the opening 90 second of the half and NDC would be within four (46-42.)  UC would take control over the next five minutes though.  A 13-0 run would stretch the lead back out to 15 (57-42.) with 13:18 to go.  UC would lead by as many as 21 and the Falcons would not get any closer than 10 the rest of the way.
 NDC will be back in action Saturday when they will face Glenville State.  Tip time is set for 4 PM.

Finding A Way. Falcons Stay Perfect At Home!

At times it was not pretty for the Notre Dame Falcons Saturday. They did just enough at the end to knock off a pesky West Virginia State team 92-83 at Murphy Gym.  The win kept the Falcons perfect at home on the season.
  Kyauta Taylor poured in a career high 35 points on the day for NDC (8-6 4-4 MEC.)   Taylor was 12-27 from the floor and 3-8 from the 3-point line.  He was a solid 8-9 at the foul line.  Taylor also added three steals.  Tyree Gaiter did not shoot the ball particularly well in this one but still netted 28 points.  The Cleveland Heights product was 7-20 from the floor- 2-9 from the 3-point line- and had a solid day at the foul line where he was 12-14.  Gaiter added four steals and three assists.  Lawrence DeArmond also had a solid game for NDC with 17 points- nine rebounds- six assists- and- six steals.  The Cincinnati Winton Woods grad was 7-of- 15 from the field- one of five from the 3-point line- and- two of four at the foul line.  NDC shot 41 percent as a team and 29 percent from the 3-point line.  The Falcons shot at a 74 percent clip (26-35) at the foul line.  Maybe the most impressive of the Falcons offensive stats was they had 15 assists and just five turnovers.
   The Yellow Jackets 2-13 (2-4 MEC) were led by a big night from Markee Mazyck.  He had 28 points in 27 minutes of action.  This included a five of eight night from the 3-point line to go along with 11-12 at the free throw line.  Mazyck was six of 11 overall in the game.  Dominic Phillips added 17 points- while Steve Wing posted a double-double (10 points and 10 rebounds.)  West Virginia St. shot 45 percent from the field in the game.  They shot 38 percent (8-21) from the 3-point line.  The Yellow Jackets shot 79 percent (19-24) from the foul line.  They pounded the Falcons on the boards 54-31.  The Falcons made up for that though as the Jackets had eight assists and were forced into 24 turnovers.
  The first five minutes were played evenly and it was tied at 10.  The Falcons would then open up a six point lead (17-11.)  Taylor scored 13 of the first 17 Falcons points.  The two teams would trade four point runs and it would be 21-15 Falcons after a Connor Deckard layup.  The Yellow Jackets would then go on a 12-0 run to take a 29-21 lead with 6:16 in the opening half.  A Mazyck 3-pointer would give WVSU a 10 point lead (34-24) that they would maintain for a couple minutes.  In the last two minutes of the opening half WVSU could not solve the NDC press. After a Gaiter 3-pointer and another by Oliver Meggins the Falcons would carry the momentum into the locker room down two (40-38.)
  WVSU would come out strong in the first three minutes of the second half and take a nine point lead (52-43.)  NDC would bounce right back with a 9-0 run to knot the game at 52 after a Gaiter basket.  The game  would then get on the see saw as it would see the lead change hands seven times in the next few minutes.  Najeeb Johnson would drain a 3-pointer at the 9:22 mark to give the Falcons a 64-62 lead.
 The next four minutes would go back and forth as much of the game did.   NDC would take the lead for a good on a acrobatic DeArmond layup that would put them up 75-74 at the four minute mark.  DeArmond would get fouled on the play but could not convert the and one. The DeArmond layup would spark a 11-0 Falcons run that gave them a 84-74 lead at the 1:41 mark.  The Falcons would go on to the nine point win.
  The Falcons will be back in action Monday when they face the University of Charleston. Tip time at Murphy Gym is set for 6 PM.

Still Searching.

One of these days the Notre Dame Falcons are going to get a road win. Thursday night was not the night though, as the Falcons fell for the sixth straight time on the road.  This time to West Virginia Wesleyan 80-64.
 NDC (7-6 3--4 MEC) had three players in double figures Thursday,  Kyauta Taylor led the way with 21 points- Tyree Gaiter added 19- and- Lawrence DeArmond scored 13 in the loss. It was not a good shooting night for NDC as they shot just 39 percent from the field in this one.  NDC was even worse (23 percent) from the 3-point line.  The place where the Falcons usually struggle most was kind to them Thursday as they shot 81 percent (13-16) from the free throw line.  NDC had 15 assists and turned the ball over nine times.
  The Bobcats (5-8 3-4 MEC) won for the third straight time at home.  They were paced by Tanner McGrew who poured in 21 points and also grabbed 18 rebounds- his 18 boards was just three short of the NDC total as a team.   Four other Bobcats were in double figures.   Taylor Price chipped in 16- Garrett Grantham netted 13- Aleksandar Djordjkevic posted 11- and- Ja'Sahn Johnson had 10.  The Bobcats had a field day on offense where they shot 68 percent from the floor- 46 percent from the 3-point line- and 71 percent from the foul line.  The Bobcats owned the rebounding battle 36-21.  They had 21 assists and 18 turnovers.
 NDC got off to a slow start and poor shooting was the story of the night.  In the first five minutes NDC missed six of the first eight shots they took but after a DeArmond bucket trailed by just three (10-7) at the first media time out.  The Bobcats would stretch the lead to 14 but NDC would fight back.  After being down 33-19 with 2:40 in the opening half the Falcons would go on a 8-0 spurt to cut the lead to six (33-27.)  It looked like things were looking up going into the locker room after the strong close to the opening half.
 The second half would start much like the first did.  The Bobcats would knock down four straight shots to open the frame and after seven minutes of the second half the Bobcats would have a commanding 50-31 lead.  The Bobcats would lead by as many as 21 (54-33) but the Falcons would get to within eight (69-61) with three minutes to go. The Falcons would go on to lose another road tilt when all was said and done.
NDC will be back at home where they will face West Virginia State Saturday.  Tip time is set for 4 PM at Murphy Gym.
 

NDC Comes Up Short Again On The Road.

As unbeatable as the Notre Dame Falcons have looked at Murphy Gym this season, the opposite has been the case on the road. Things did not change in that respect Monday night as the Falcons fell 90-72 to the Fighting Falcons of Fairmount State in West Virginia. With the loss NDC fell to 0-5 in true road games on the season.  The win was the third straight in conference play for Fairmount State.
  NDC (7-5 3-3 MEC) was led by a trio of players in double figures. Tyree Gaiter led the way with 25 points- Lawrence DeArmond chipped in 13- while Najeeb Johnson tallied 11.  The Falcons shot 52 percent for the game- 46 percent from the 3-point line.  They shot at a 77 percent clip (13-17) at the foul line.  NDC won the rebounding battle 31-27.  They had eight assists and 18 turnovers.
  The Fighting Falcons (7-5 4-2 MEC) shot 54 percent from the field- 40 percent from the 3-point line- and went 16-20 at the foul line.  They had 20 assists and just seven turnovers (all in the second half.)  The Fighting Falcons had three players tally at least 20 points.  Jamel Morris and Thomas Wimbush poured in 22 points a piece- while Nick Harney added 21.  Caleb Davis also posted 11 for the Fighting Falcons.
  Both teams got off to hot starts Monday. NDC would make the first seven shots they took, six being before the first media time out. Despite the hot shooting NDC would hold a slim 15-13 lead at the initial media timeout at the 14:36 mark.
 FSU would then go on a 10-2 run to open a 10 point lead (25-15.)  They would stretch that lead to 16 (43-27) at the 6:17 mark of the opening half.  NDC would get to within nine late in the opening stanza but FSU would hold a double digit lead (54-42) at the half.  FSU did not commit a single turnover in the opening stanza.
  FSU would stretch the lead to 20 (74-54) over the first seven plus minutes of the second half.  FSU would then cruise to the 18 point victory after that.
 NDC will be back in action Thursday as they will once again try and pick up that elusive first road win of the season when they take on West Virginia Wesleyan. Tip time is set for 7:30 PM.

Falcons Edged in Double OT.

The Notre Dame Falcons and Shepherd were involved in a track meet Saturday afternoon at the Butcher Center in West Virginia. The Rams outlasted the Falcons 120-112 in double overtime.
 The Falcons (7-4 3-2 MEC)  had four players come up with big nights.  Tyree Gaiter led the way with 30 points and 11 assists- Lawrence DeArmond poured in 29- Oliver Megins had a season high 23- while Kyauta Taylor added 16.  The Falcons shot 45 percent from the field. They were 14-40 from the 3-point line. NDC shot 73 percent (24-33) at the free throw line.  The Falcons won the rebounding battle 48-44.  They had 23 assists and 18 turnovers.
   The Rams (8-3 3-2 MEC)  had four players in double figures.  Steffen Davis and Skyler Roman notched 27 points each- Morgan McDonald poured in 21- and AJ Carr added 12.  The Rams shot 47 percent from the floor in the game- they shot 35 percent (9-26) from the 3-point line.  The Rams made a living at the free throw line where they shot 84 percent (41-49.)  The Rams had 24 assists and 14 turnovers.
   The first five minutes saw both teams come out hot from the floor and the game was tied at 14 at the first media time out.  The Falcons then went on a 10-2 spurt and led 24-16 after a Megins basket at the 12:06 mark of the opening half.  NDC led by five (36-31) with six minutes left in the opening half.  The Rams got to within one (36-35) at the 4:17 mark.  NDC would lead by two (42-40) at halftime.
 The opening 10 minutes of the second half would see the tables turn and the Rams would take a 62-58 lead. NDC would score the next 10 points to get within one (69-68) after a Taylor 3-pointer at the 8:06 mark.
 Shepherd would extend the lead to seven (79-72) over the next minute.  NDC would get to within two (79-77) at the 5:05 mark after a DeArmond 3-pointer.
 NDC would battle back and Gaiter would nail three free throws to tie the game at 90 with seven seconds in regulation.
  The first OT would see even basketball for much of it.  The Falcons would reclaim the lead 104-103 at the 1:13 mark.  McDonald would split a pair of free throws for the Rams to tie the game at 106. Gaiter would have a chance to win it for the Falcons but his shot would not fall.
  After both teams went cold at the beginning of the second overtime NDC would go up 108-106 after a pair of free throws.  The Rams would get four free throws and a layup to take a 112-108 lead at the 1:27 mark of the second overtime.  The Rams would stretch the lead to seven and then hang on for the win late.
 NDC will have a day to regroup before they face Fairmount State Monday night. Tip time is set for 7:30 PM in West Virginia.