Falcons Let One Get Away Against #3 West Liberty Saturday.

The Notre Dame Falcons found out a lot about themselves on Saturday afternoon. They did not win the game but they hung with the third ranked team in the country and took them to overtime before falling 106-103 at Murphy Gym. The Hilltoppers stayed percent on the season, while NDC fell to 3-1 (0-1 MEC.)
  Five West Liberty players scored in double figures in the victory. They were paced by Seger Bonifant who had a game high 28 points- Devin Hoehn added 24- Brady Arnold scored 17- Mike Lamberti had 13- while Dave Dennis chipped in 10. The Hilltoppers shot 41 percent for the game and 37 percent from the 3-point line. They shot 82 percent (22-27) from the free throw line. They had 23 assists and just nine turnovers.
 NDC also placed five players in double figures. Kyauta Taylor led the way with 22 points and 12 rebounds- Marco Colombo had 19- Will Vorhees and Tyree Gaiter netted 18 each- while Ja'sean Lewis scored 12.
 The Falcons shot the ball extremely well. They shot 51 percent from the field and 53 percent (16-30) from the 3-point line. What doomed the Falcons was going 11-27 (41 percent) at the free throw line.  NDC dominated the glass 56-44. They had 29 assists and 19 turnovers.
  The game started out with both teams shooting the ball well as they would all day. After a Colombo 3-pointer NDC would take a 10-8 lead into the first media timeout. The Falcons lead would grow to 10 (21-11) after a Vorhees 3-pointer at the 14:15 mark. The Falcons would then go another spurt, this time a 13-3 run to open up a 20 point lead (34-14) after a Taylor layup with 11:09 left in the half. The Hilltoppers would score the next eight points to cut the lead to 12 (34-22) at the 9:02 mark. After stretching the lead out to 17 the Falcons would lead by just six (54-48) at halftime.
  The Falcons would score the first four points of the second half before the Hilltoppers would counter with the next seven.  After a pair of Hoehn free throws West Liberty would take a 71-70 lead with 12:49 remaining. After NDC took a brief lead the Toppers would go up by six (80-74) after a pair of Arnold free throws at the 9:39 mark. The Hilltoppers looked to take command with a nine point lead (91-82) with 4:01 to go. The Falcons would run off the next nine points and tie the game at 91 on a Taylor basket with 1:14 to go. After a miss by West Liberty at the other end, the Falcons would get a jumper by Vorhees to take a 93-91 lead with 33 seconds left in regulation. After another missed 3-pointer by the Hilltoppers NDC had a chance to end it but Taylor missed the front end of a one and one. Three Gaiter fouled Dave Dennis with nine seconds in regulation and Dennis made both free throws. Taylor had a chance to win it for the Falcons at the buzzer but his 3-pointer did not fall.
  The teams would trade basket to begin the overtime frame, the NDC basket a Gaiter 3-pointer would give them a 96-95 lead. The Hilltoppers would score the next five points before another NDC 3-pointer, this one by Colombo would cut the lead to one (100-99) at the 3:41 mark of the extra session.
NDC would get the lead back on a Najeeb Johnson at the 2:08 mark (103-102.)  Dennis would split a pair of free throws with just under two minute left and the game would again be knotted, this time at 103. Both teams offenses would go silent until Mike Lamberti hit what proved to be the game winning layup with 29 seconds. After a Taylor turnover Bonifant would hit one of two free throws to leave the door open for NDC. With two seconds left and a 3-point lead West Liberty would foul Gaiter. He would miss both free throws, get his own rebound but his 3-pointer to extend the game was off the mark.
NDC will be back in action Monday night when they face Wheeling Jesuit. Tip time is set for 7:30 in Wheeling,West Virginia.