Falcons Buried By Golden Knights Tuesday.

The day did not start out well for the Notre Dame Falcons when 20 seconds into the contest they learned that Angelo Cugini would not be able to go the rest of the way with a back injury that he tweaked in warmups and the Falcons fell 88-63 at Gary Miller Court inside the Hammerill Center Tuesday. With the loss the Falcons have now lost six straight and dropped to 3-9 on the season. Gannon improved to 6-5 with a second straight victory.
   NDC was led by 22 points and five assists from Halil Parks. Oliver Megins scored 10 of his 13 points in the opening half- while Levi Frankland added 11- and- Drew Scarberry had 10. The Falcons shot 47 percent as a team. They shot 36 percent (12-33) from the 3-point line. NDC shot just 50 percent (3-6) from the free throw line. They had 16 assists and 19 turnovers in this one.
 The Golden Knights were led by Zay Jackson who scored 20 of his 25 points in the opening half- Damon Miraud added 13- and- Jair Green scored 12. The Golden Knights shot 53 percent as a team. They shot 36 percent (8-22) from the 3-point line. Gannon shot at a 63 percent clip (10-16) from the free throw line. The Golden Knights crushed NDC on the boards 43-19. They had 24 assists and 13 turnovers in this one.
  Drew Scarberry scored to give the Falcons a 2-1 lead early. That would be the Falcons only lead of the game. The Golden Knights would lead 14-5  at the 14:29 mark of the first half after a Zay Jackson basket. With 8:34 to go in the half Megins would score to get the Falcons to within nine (24-15.)  Gannon would stretch the lead out, but the Falcons would get a 3-pointer from KT Taylor and be within eight (29-21) at the 5:54 mark of the opening half. The Golden Knights would stretch the lead to 17 (47-30) at the half.
  The Golden Knights would maintain a double digit lead for the rest of the game. They would lead by as many as 27 and cruise to victory.
NDC Coach Tim Koenig spoke of the difference in the game tonight:
" We absolutely got killed on the backboards tonight. Obviously we were at a huge size disadvantage against Gannon. Angelo being hurt is the first time I can remember since I have been coaching that I had to play some minutes with no big on the court. Ollie had to play almost the whole game because he is the only guy size wise and athletically who could match up with these guys. Koenig said."
 On the game Jackson had (especially in the first half) for Gannon:
" Zay did a nice job tonight. As most guys are, he is very much a rhythm shooter and when he gets hot look out. You saw that tonight. He had some clean looks at the beginning, but as the game wore on he was hitting shots with guys draped all over him." Koenig said. "
On the play of Megins of late:
"Ollie has done a nice job. We have been able to run some of the offense thru him. He has been making shots and that is what we need for him. He hit the backboards hard tonight and we need that." Koenig said."
On the health of Cugini:
"Angelo hurt his back. We hope it is not serious and he is not out for a long period of time. We will have to get him to see a doctor. The good news is we have this break for the next 10 days for some of these guys to get healthy." Koenig said."
As for what he wants to see more of the rest of the year:
" We need to defend better. We need to protect the paint better. We need to rebound better. We all need to get better individually. It will help to have this break to regroup and we will get back at it full go in about 10 days or so. " Koenig said."
 Scarberry agreed that the rest will help:
" I just think we need to use this break and use it to rest up and get back healthy. We need to be ready to come back and change things around. We need to get everyone on the same page and start playing ball the way we know how. " Scarberry said."
Jack Kelsheimer gave his thoughts on the rest of this season:
" There's still a lot of games left to be played. We're going to use this break to re-group and make a run in the second half of the season. When adversity hits, great teams stick together and work harder. That's what we're going to have to do. "Kelsheimer said."
NDC will be off for the holiday break for the next 10 days. The next game will be January 4th at Glenville State.  Tip time is set for 7:30 PM. As always you can catch all the action on NotreDameFalcons.com

Falcons Look To Get Back On Track Tuesday.

The Notre Dame College Falcons look to get back on the winning track when they battle Gannon on Tuesday night. It will be the Falcons second game in Erie,PA in the past four days. Saturday they were a 86-77 loser to Mercyhurst.
  Halil Parks and Oliver Megins paced the Falcons with 19 points in the loss to the Lakers.  KT Taylor scored 14 and Jack Kelsheimer added 12 in the defeat.  The Falcons shot 47 percent as a team- 36 percent from 3-point range- and- 92 percent (12-13) from the free throw line. The Falcons were out-rebounded 37-32. They had 15 assists and 18 turnovers.
   The Falcons come into Tuesday's contest scoring 87.2 points per contest. At the defensive end they allow 93.4 points a game.  NDC makes 1.6 more 3-pointer's per game than the opposition (12.1 to 10.5.)  They make 15.8 free throws per game as opposed to 13.9 for the opposition. They average 41.2 rebounds a game- while the opponent gets 40.3 rebounds a contest. The Falcons are looking for that elusive first road win of the season and have dropped five straight overall.
   Taylor leads the Falcons in scoring at 20.2 points per game- he adds 5.5 rebounds- and- 4.1 assists per contest.  Parks is scoring 14.1 per night- Drew Scarberry 12.3 a game- while- Angelo Cugini scores 10.3 points a game and is averaging 7.5 rebounds a contest.
   Gannon comes into Tuesday's game 5-5 on the year. They are 3-1 at home. The last time out they were a 71-64 winner over East Stroudsburg.  Three Golden Knights scored in double figures in that one led by Jair Green with 17.  Evan Phoenix posted 16 points and 10 rebounds- while Damon Miraud added 11. The Golden Knights shot 49 percent from the field- 38 percent (3-8) from the 3-point line- and- 80 percent (16-20) at the free throw line.  The Golden Knights had 14 assists and 23 turnovers in the victory.
  Gannon averages 66 points a game- while they give up 63 per contest.  They out-rebound the opposition by more than seven rebounds per game (38.6 to 31.4)
  The Golden Knights are paced on the season by Phoenix who averages 14 points and 9.2 rebounds a night. Zay Jackson scores 13.3 per night- while Green puts up 12.9 per night. Jackson also leads the team in assists at more than three per game.
  The Falcons and Gannon have only met one previous time. That being a 81-66 Golden Knights win in Erie,PA on December 14, 2012. As always you can catch the game on NotreDameFalcons.com

NDC Rally Falls Short Saturday.

The Notre Dame College Falcons rallied late but ultimately fell 86-77 to the Mercyhurst Lakers on Saturday afternoon at the Athletic Center. With the loss NDC has now dropped five straight and fell to 3-8 on the season. The victory by the Lakers snapped a three game losing slide and improved them to 5-4 on the year.
  The Falcons were paced by Oliver Megins and Halil Parks who scored 19 points each, Parks added six rebounds and six assists. KT Taylor (14 points-) and- Jack Kelsheimer (12) also scored in double figures in the loss.  The Falcons shot 47 percent as a team and 36 percent (11-31) from the 3-point line.  NDC shot 92 percent (12-13) from the free throw line. They had 15 assists and 18 turnovers as a team.
 Mercyhurst was led by 29 points from Lorenzo Collier- while Malcolm Walters added 23.  Derrick Ellis and Dontae Williams added eight points each as well.  The Lakers shot 45 percent from the field- 41 percent (11-27) from the 3-point line- and- 83 percent (19-23) from the free throw line.  The Lakers won the rebounding battle 37-32.  They had 19 assists and 12 turnovers in the contest.
  The Falcons got on the board first with a Drew Scarberry 3-pointer just over a minute in.  Angelo Cugini would make a layup after the Lakers Collier had done the same to give the Falcons a 5-2 lead early on.  The Lakers would then run off the next seven points before another Cugini basket.  After Parks and Walters traded baskets the Lakers would go on a 8-0 run to take a 19-9 lead after a Collier bucket at the 12:49 mark of the opening half.  The Lakers would stretch the lead to 17 (33-16) after a Ellis 3-pointer with 6:30 to go in the opening half.  The Falcons would then go on a run themselves and cut the lead to six (37-31) after a Megins jumper with 2:04 to play in the half.  Walters would hit another 3-pointer and it would be a nine point (40-31) Mercyhurst lead at the break.
Coach Tim Koenig talked about energy and rebounding early:
" The glass really hurt us out of the shoot.  We had lots of good looks in the first half but could not knock them down." Koenig said."
  The Falcons shot 46 percent in the opening half. They made just 4-14 (29 percent) from the 3-point line.  The Falcons made all three free throw attempts in the opening stanza.  They had seven assists and eight turnovers in the first 20 minutes. They were out-rebounded 19-12 in the opening stanza.  Taylor lead NDC with 10 points and Megins seven in the first 20 minutes.
  The Lakers were led in the first 20 minutes by Walters and Collier with 12 points each.  They shot 50 percent as a team in the opening half- 47 percent (7-15) from the 3-point line.  They split the two free throws they attempted in the opening stanza.  They had 12 assists  and seven turnovers as a team.
  The second half begin with the Lakers extending the lead to 14.  NDC would then go on a 8-0 run capped by a Megins 3-pointer to cut the lead to six (47-41) at the 11:23 mark.  The Lakers would once again extend the lead to 14 (60-46) after a pair of free throws. After a Collier 3-pointer the lead would be 18 (70-52) at the 3:04 mark.  The Falcons would rally and get to within seven but that is as close as they would get.
  Koenig broke it down plain and simply:
" We had three categories we spoke about prior to the game turnovers, turnover margin, and rebounding. We lost all three and we lost the game. " Koenig said."
 On if anything surprised the Falcons of what the Lakers did:
" We played a lot more man to man defense than I thought we would. Other than that everything was as expected. " Koenig said."
  On the play he has received from Kelsheimer of late:
" Jack will give you everything he has every game. He will execute to a t. He will hit the open shots and hardly turns the ball over. He had two today which is very uncharacteristic for him. " Koenig said."
  On playing against Collier and Collins:
" Those guys made shots. We had some defensive breakdowns. Those guys are really good players who played very well. Every time we cut into the lead it would be one of those guys who made the shots to stem the run. " Koenig said."
On the fact that the shots were not going in until the last two or three minutes and then everything went in:
" That was desperation.  Those shots were all closely contested." Koenig said."
On what he wants to see more of in the next game:
"Keep the basketball out of the paint. I really really want these guys to keep the basketball out of the paint.  We also need to cut down on turnovers, 12 or less would be ideal. " Koenig said."
NDC will be back in action Tuesday when they face Gannon in Erie,PA. Tip time is set for 7:30 PM.

NDC Travels To Mercyhurst Saturday.

The Notre Dame College Falcons (3-7 1-5 MEC) travel to Erie, PA on Saturday to battle the Mercyhurst Lakers (4-4.)  You can catch the game on NotreDameFalcons.com as tip time is set for 2 PM.
  NDC is trying to snap a four game losing slide. The last time out NDC was a 103-76 loser to Charleston on Saturday.  This came after a loss to West Virginia State on Wednesday night. The Falcons come into the game scoring 88.2 points per night, while they give up 94.1 per contest. The Falcons average 12.2 made 3-pointer's per contest which is 1.7 more than the opposition's 10.5 per contest.  NDC continues to out-rebound the opposition as they have hauled in 43.1 rebounds- 41.6 for the opposition. The one area the Falcons have really struggled in is taking care of the ball. The Falcons average 16.3 turnovers a game, which is more than five more per game than the opponent.  To the contrary the Falcons have made three more free throws per game more than the opposition.
  Last time out the short-handed Falcons lost in exhibition play 89-56 to Division 1 Cleveland State. Angelo Cugini recorded a double- double (10 points and 18 rebounds-) while Halil Parks had a team leading 23 to pace the Falcons. Cole Hayes added nine.
  In the previous game the Falcons 103-76 loss to Charleston Parks had career highs in both points (30-) and rebounds (12.)  Cugini scored 13 in that defeat, Kyauta Taylor was held scoreless for the first time in his collegiate career in this one when he played thru an injury. Taylor was unable to go in Sunday's contest.
 In the 10 point loss to West Virginia State Taylor scored a team leading 25 points despite suffering the injury- Cugini and Parks each tallied 18- while Drew Scarberry posted a 13 point night.
  The Falcons will look for the elusive first road win of the season on Saturday.  Taylor leads the season box score putting up 20.8 points a night to go along with 5.8 rebounds- and- 4.3 assists per night.  Halil Parks has been coming on strong of late and is second on the team scoring 13.4 points per game- he also grabs four rebounds- and- dishes out 2.3 assists per contest.  Scarberry is scoring 12.9 points per game and shoots 42 percent from 3-point range.  Cugini has had a solid campaign thus far scoring 10.7 points and getting 7.4 rebounds per contest.  Levi Frankland is averaging an even 10 points per game.
  The Lakers are led by a pair of players averaging in double figures.  Lorenzo Collier puts up 15.3 points per contest- while Malcolm Walters is at 12.8 points per game.  As a team the Lakers average 66.1 points per game on offense. The 2-3 zone they use has stymied the opposition to the tune of just 60.1 points per contest.
  The Lakers come into Saturday's game a perfect 3-0 at home and just 1-4 on the road.  Last time out for the Lakers was a 58-50 loss against West Chester.  Collier and Walters scored 13 points each to pace the Lakers in the losing effort.
 NDC is 2-4 all time against Mercyhurst. The last meeting was a 89-80 win for the Falcons in South Euclid last November.  The next game for the Falcons will be on Tuesday when they head back to Erie,PA this time to face Gannon. Tip time is set for 730 PM.

Cleveland State Rolls Past Undermanned Falcons.

The Cleveland State Vikings defeated the Falcons of Notre Dame College in an exhibition game at the Wolstein Center Sunday by a score of 89-56.  The game was very competitive for the Falcons in the first half, before the Vikings pulled away.
  Bobby Word scored 19 points to lead the Vikings- Kenny Carpenter scored 17- and- Tyree Appleby added 12- while Kasheem Thomas scored 10.  The Vikings shot 49 percent in the contest- they shot 38 percent (14-37) from the 3-point line- and- shot 64 percent (9-14) from the free throw line.  The Vikings  had 17 assists and 13 turnovers as a team.
  NDC was paced by 21 points from Halil Parks- while Angelo Cugini recorded a double-double (10 points and 18 rebounds-) Cole Hayes added nine.  The Falcons shot 37 percent from the floor as a team- they shot 31 percent (8-26) from the 3-point line- and- 78 percent (7-9) from the free throw line.  The Falcons won the rebounding battle 41-30.  They had 10 assists and 30 turnovers as a team.
  The game got off to a slow start for both teams and CSU would lead 7-3 at the first media time out.  The Vikings would score the next seven points and lead 14-3 with 12:33 to go in the opening half.  A little more than a minute later it would be 16-6 CSU.  At the 8:03 mark of the opening half CSU would expand the lead to 14 (23-9.)  NDC would then go on a run to cut the lead to nine (28-19) at the 3:42 mark of the opening half.  The Vikings would go on a 10-2 run to close the half and led 38-21.
  Parks (nine points-) and- Cole Hayes (six) would lead NDC in scoring in the opening half.  CSU was led by Carpenter and Appleby with eight points each.
  NDC coach Tim Koenig spoke about the end of the half:
"It was a 3 possession game and we had three consecutive possessions we turned the ball over and they got run-outs.  The turnovers were crippling" Koenig mentioned."
He also spoke about the first half getting a better effort from his team:
" We got some good looks, we defended way better. We did a better job of protecting the paint today." Koenig said."
  The second half saw the CSU lead cut to 14 (43-29) with 15:41 to go.  Four minutes later the lead would be 16 (51-35.)  The Vikings would stretch the lead to 21 (58-37) with 10:40 to go.  The Vikings would lead by as many as 34 and secure the victory.
Koenig talked about the effort today:
"We competed today.  We just have to make open shots is what it comes down to.  "Koenig said."
Koenig spoke a little bit about being undermanned today:
"We only had seven guys play most of the game today. Will Butler hurt himself yesterday and was not an option.  KT (Taylor) obviously was the big one. He could not go today. Adversity happens. We will get thru this though." Koenig said."
  On the biggest takeaway they can use for the rest of the season after this one Koenig had this to say:
" We have a lot of guys playing in a lot of different spots. Some guys playing in spots they have never played in before.  We just have the next man up mentality. Guys are going to get a chance to play and show me what they can do. We have all mixed our defenses more lately because we are so undermanned. I do not have much of a choice with that.  We competed really well, defended better, and rebounded well today." Koenig said."
NDC will take the week off for Finals this week and then be back in action Saturday as they will travel to Erie,PA to face Mercyhurst. Tip time Saturday is set for 2 PM. You can catch the game on NotreDameFalcons.com

 

Lifeless Falcons Thrashed At Home Saturday.

The Notre Dame College Falcons returned home Saturday and were thrashed 103-76 by the Charleston Golden Eagles. With the victory the Golden Eagles improved to 8-3 overall and 4-2 in the MEC. The Falcons fell to 3-7 overall and 1-5 in the MEC.
  Kier Anderson led six Golden Eagles in double figures with 24 points.  Lamont McManus added 19- Shaq Speights and Jordan Smith scored 14 each- while Jonathan Tshibuy and Malik Young netted 10 points each.  Tshibuy was the leading rebounder with 11 on the day.  The Golden Eagles shot a sizzling 65 percent from the field in the game- they shot 40 percent (8-20) from the 3-point line- and- 83 percent (15-18) from the free throw line. The Golden Eagles easily won the rebounding battle 46-31.  They had 17 assists and 11 turnovers as a team.
  NDC was led by Halil Parks who had a career high 30 points to go along with 12 rebounds.  Angelo Cugini was the only other Falcon in double figures with 13.  Cole Hayes and Jack Kelsheimer had nine and eight points respectively off the bench.
  The Falcons shot 40 percent as a team. They shot 31 percent (12-39) from the 3-point line.  At the free throw line they shot 42 percent (6-14.)  They had 18 assists and 10 turnovers as a team.
  The game got off to a rough start for the Falcons as they would trail 20-3 after a Kier Anderson 3-pointer at the 13:16 mark of the half. Coach Tim Koenig spoke about the rough start:
" We just did not make shots today. It was just one of those days. We had good looks and our spacing was good but the shots just didn't fall today." Koenig said.
Will Butler would hit a 3-pointer at the 10:02 mark of the opening half and NDC would trail 24-10.  The lead would grow to 22 for Charleston (34-12) after a McManus basket at the 7:13 mark of the half.  The Falcons would score the next five points and it would be 34-17 Charleston.  The next seven points would go the Golden Eagles way and they led by 24 (41-17) after a Anderson 3-pointer at the 5:02 mark of the half. The Falcons would trail by 22 (50-28) at the intermission after Parks missed a pair of free throws with .4 seconds left in the half.
  The Golden Eagles were led in the first half by Anderson with 15 points- Malik Young also had 10 in the first stanza. Charleston shot 56 percent in the opening half- and- 43 percent (6-14) from the 3-point line.
  The Falcons on the other hand were led in scoring by Parks with 11. They shot 31 percent from the field- and- 22 percent (4-18) from the 3-point line in the opening 20 minutes.  They shot 29 percent (2-7) at the free throw line.
  The second half would be much like the first. The Falcons trailed by 27 at the 14:53 mark of the contest.  The lead would grow to 30 (72-42) at the 13:01 mark.  The Falcons would go on a 6-0 run to cut it to 24 (72-48) after another Parks basket. The Golden Eagles would cruise from that point on to secure the victory.
Koenig talked about evaluating everything after this one:
" We evaluate every game, every practice. We got it handed to us today. It was just one of those nights"Koenig said."
He talked about defense and getting killed on the boards today:
" We need to do a better job defensively and rebound the ball better." Koenig said."
When asked about the possibly of putting Parks into the starting lineup here were Koenig's thoughts:
" Halil played well today. He rebounded the ball real well, hit the glass hard. That is one positive we can take from this one." It is a long game and we have made a lot of changes to the starters this year. I will sleep on that and make a decision tomorrow. "Koenig said."
When asked about KT Taylor's health: (Taylor did not score in 25 minutes of action today:)
" KT gutted it out today. He badly sprained his ankle in the West Virginia State game. He turned the ankle. He did not practice the last two days." Koenig said."
Koenig also spoke about the opportunity ahead tomorrow:
" We have a very good opportunity to play a Division 1 opponent in Cleveland State tomorrow." Koenig said.
 NDC will battle the Vikings at the Wolstein Center tomorrow at 2 PM. You can catch the game on ESPN 3.

NDC Travels To CSU For Exhibition Game Sunday.

The Notre Dame College Falcons will play an exhibition game Sunday when they travel to Division I Cleveland State. It will be a 2 PM tip from the Wolstein Center.
  NDC is 3-6 on the season and looking for a quality win. They are led in scoring by Kyauta Taylor at 23.1 points per night.  Drew Scarberry is averaging 13.8 points a contest and shoots 42 percent from the 3-point line.  Levi Frankland is second on the team in 3-point shooting percentage (43 percent-) and is scoring 11 points a game.  Halil Parks is putting up 10.7 per night despite missing a few games with an injury.  Angelo Cugini is averaging 10.4 points and also grabs 7.6 rebounds a contest.  The Falcons average 89.6 points per game, while the give up 93.1 a night.
  Cleveland State comes in with a 2-6 record on the season.  Last time out they were a 78-67 loser to Western Illinois.  The Falcons will be the second Division II opponent CSU has faced this year. They were a 78-70 winner over Cedarville on 11/2.
  Kenny Carpenter is the leading scorer for Cleveland State at 14.2 points per night.  Stefan Kenic is scoring 10 a game- while Tyree Appleby is scoring 9.9 a contest.  The Vikings are scoring 64.9 points a game- while they allow 69 points a contest.

NDC Welcomes Charleston To South Euclid Saturday.

The Notre Dame College Falcons take on the Charleston Golden Eagles Saturday at 4 PM at Murphy Gym. You can catch all the action on NotreDameFalcons.com
  The Falcons (3-6 1-4 MEC) look to snap a three game losing slide on Saturday afternoon.  The last time out the Falcons were a 98-88 loser at West Virginia State on Wednesday night. That came after a pair of losses to top ten opponents the week before. Those losses came to Wheeling Jesuit at home and at West Liberty.
  In the loss to Wheeling Levi Frankland led the way with 22 points- while Cole Hayes knocked down four 3-pointer's on his way to 17.  Hayes (48 percent-) and- Frankland (43 percent) are the top 3-point shooters for the Falcons.  Angelo Cugini also added 12 points and 11 rebounds in that game.  Last Saturday the Falcons were a 103-84 loser to ninth ranked West Liberty.  Kyauta Taylor had a double-double (28 points and 10 rebounds) in the defeat.  Drew Scarberry had 17-and- Frankland 15 in that game.
  Taylor is second in the MEC averaging 23.1 points per game- he is also fourth in assists at four per night.  Taylor is also third in the league in steals at two per contest.  Scarberry (13.8 a night-) Frankland (11 per game-) Halil Parks (10.7 per night-) and- Cugini (10.4 a game) also average double figures.  The Falcons shoot 45 percent as a team from the 3-point line.  They also average 19 assists a game as a team.  They put up 89.6 points per night- while they allow 93.1 a contest.
 The University of Charleston Golden Eagles (7-3 3-2 MEC) are coming off a 78-67 win over Urbana on Wednesday night.  Lamont McManus led the Golden Eagles with 19 points in the victory- Kier Anderson scored 17- and- Ke'Andre Gibson added 14.
  The Golden Eagles have now won three of four.  Anderson averages a league eighth best 17.7 a night- and- is shooting 56 percent from the field.  Three more Golden Eagles average in double figures on the young campaign.  Austin Howard puts up 12.4 a night- McManus scores 10.7 a game- and- Riley Heatherington scores 10.1 points per game.  Charleston averages 81.8 points a game as a team- while they allow 75.3.  They have out-rebounded the opponents by four per night.
  The two teams split the meetings with each other last season. The Falcons won 75-70 in South Euclid on 12/3, before Charleston defeated NDC 71-61 on 2/4.  Each team winning on it's home floor.
 

That Stings! Slow Start Dooms Falcons Wednesday.

The Notre Dame College Falcons got off to a slow start, fell behind by 23 points and ultimately fell 98-88 against West Virginia State at the Walker Convocation Center. With the loss NDC fell to 3-6 overall and 1-4 in the MEC. With the victory West Virginia State improved to 5-4 overall and 3-2 in the MEC.
The Yellow Jackets had five players score in double figures in the win.  Ernest Jenkins scored 19 of his 21 in the opening half.  Tim Koenig spoke of how that happened:
"Jenkins got some wide open looks in the first half. We did not execute well defensively. We missed some assignment especially on Jenkins." Koenig said.
  Pat Johnson- Agwu had 20- Jeremiah Moore added 15- Langston Cooke had 12- and- Isiah Noel 10 for the Yellow Jackets.  They shot 55 percent as a team in the game. 61 percent in the first half- 41 percent from the 3-point line (60 percent in the opening half-) and- 85 percent (11-13) from the free throw line. This included making all five free throw attempts in the opening stanza.  They had 24 assists and 13 turnovers as a team. The Yellow Jackets won the battle of the boards 37-31.
  Kyauta Taylor led four Falcons in double figures in the loss. Taylor scored 25 points Wednesday- Angelo Cugini and Halil Parks added 18 points each- while Drew Scarberry had 13.  The Falcons shot 46 percent from the field in the game. They shot 31 percent (8-26) from the 3-point line- 79 percent (26-33) from the free throw line.  They had 18 assists and 14 turnovers as a team.
  The first half saw the game knotted at 14 after the first media timeout.  The Yellow Jackets would then open up a 10-point lead (26-16) at the 11:03 mark of the opening half.  The lead would be 17 (46-29) at the 3:57 mark of the opening half.  That lead would grow to 23 (58-35) at the break.
Drew Scarberry commented on the opening half from a NDC standpoint:
" We didn't execute very well coming out of the gate. We had bad ball movement in the half court and we didn't execute the offense very well. Defensively. we gave up too much penetration and they really boarded the ball against us.
Koenig agreed:
" We did not execute well in the first half both offensively and defensively.  We have to be mentally ready to start the game from the opening tip.  We forced some shots and turned the ball over too much in the opening half." Koenig said."
  The lead would still be 23 (72-49) for the Yellow Jackets before NDC would get to within 16 after a pair of Parks free throws capped a 7-0 run at the 11:24 mark.  NDC would get to within eight (88-80) after a Scarberry dunk at the 2:47 mark.  The Falcons would get to within seven twice, but that is as close as they would get and they would drop a third straight.
  Scarberry spoke about the second half being a lot better than the first:
" We did a much better job coming out in the second half and cutting into the lead.  We moved the ball well and really got up and down the floor." Scarberry said.
  Scarberry spoke about the solid game teammate Cugini put together tonight:
"Angelo did a great job tonight of getting a mismatch and being able to score or draw defenders and kicking it out. " Scarberry said."
  Scarberry spoke a little about his changed role on this team after the injuries that have hurt this team this season:
" I have to take on more of a consistent role and I have to be able to log more minutes.  I need to be a leader out on the court. We just have to keep fighting and playing our game.  We can still compete with any team in the conference. Scarberry said."
  Koenig spoke of the hole the team dug in the first half and going deeper into his bench:
" When we fall behind by 20+ points you try anything to get a spark. Some moves made tonight worked really well. Others did not so much." Koenig said."
"When you are that far behind you have no margin for error." Koenig said."
  Koenig spoke about having Parks back after his injury:
" West Virginia State overplayed everything. Halil did a good job of getting to the basket and making layups. He is another playmaker and we are definitely glad to have him back.  He also gave us a defensive spark tonight as well." Koenig said."
Koenig also spoke briefly about KT Taylor and the added pressure on him with the injuries this season:
"This is nothing new for KT. He has been one of our go to guys since he came here his freshman year.  Both offensively and defensively. KT will always be one of our leaders both on and off the court. "Koenig said."
  NDC will return home Saturday to face Charleston. Tip time at Murphy Gym is set for 4 PM. You can catch all the action on NotreDameFalcons.com

NDC Battles Jackets Wednesday.

The Notre Dame College Falcons (3-5 1-3 MEC) battle the Yellow Jackets of West Virginia State 4-4 (2-2 MEC) in a conference showdown Wednesday.  The game tips at 730 PM. You can catch all the action on NotreDameFalcons.com.
  Last time out the Yellow Jackets were a 96-87 loser to Concord.  Tommy Bolte scored 46 points to pace the Mountain Lions.  Trey Stuff  had 14- and-BJ Hamlet had 10 in the defeat.  The Mountain Lions shot 52 percent as a team.  They shot 24 percent (6-25) from the 3-point line.  They were 63 percent (26-41) at the free throw line.  The Mountain Lions nipped the Yellow Jackets on the boards 43-42.  The Mountain Lions had 17 assists and 14 turnovers.
  The Yellow Jackets had three players in double figures.  Robert Fomby led the way with 19 points- Jahlen Greene had 18- and- Jeremiah Moore added 10.  The Yellow Jackets shot 43 percent from the field- and- 23 percent (6-26) from the 3-point line.  They shot 68 percent (27-37) at the free throw line.  They had 11 assists and 14 turnovers.
  NDC is led in scoring by Will Vorhees at 24.3 points per game. Vorhees will not be available though.  Kyauta Taylor scores 22.9 points per game- Drew Scarberry puts up 13.9 points a contest- while Levi Frankland adds 12.6 a game.
  As a team the Falcons average 89.8 points per game.    They still average 4.5 more rebounds per game more than the opponent.
  Tip time Wednesday is set for 730 PM. You can catch all the action at NotreDameFalcons.com

#7 West Liberty Turns Back NDC 103-84.

The seventh ranked Hilltoppers of West Liberty improved to 7-0 and 4-0 in the MEC with a 103-84 win over the Falcons of Notre Dame College (3-5 1-3 MEC.)  It was a hard fought game that NDC was in much of the way and got to within five midway thru the second half before the Hilltoppers broke the century mark for the seventh time in as many games to secure the victory.
  West Liberty was led by 31 points from Dan Monteroso- Jordan Watson scored 18- while Eric Meininger and Evan French each scored 11.  James Griffin added 10 of his own for a West Liberty team that shot 52 percent from the field- and- 44 percent (16-36) from the 3-point line.  The Hilltoppers shot 82 percent (9-11) from the free throw line.  Each team had 35 rebounds in this one. The Hilltoppers had 25 assists and just eight turnovers in the contest.  They scored 27 points off NDC turnovers.
  The Falcons were led by Kyauta Taylor who tallied a double-double (28 points and 10 rebounds.)  Drew Scarberry also scored in double figures with 17- Levi Frankland added 15- and- Angelo Cugini added 10 to go along with eight rebounds.  Oliver Megins also added nine points and eight rebounds for the Falcons.
 NDC shot 52 percent from the floor in the contest.  They shot 39 percent (12-31) from the 3-point line.  They struggled at the free throw line, where they shot at a 60 percent clip (6-10.)  NDC had 17 assists and 19 turnovers as a team.
  The game got off to a pretty even start as Evan French would knock down a 3-pointer after Drew Scarberry did the same for NDC and the game was tied at 16 just over five minutes in.  The Hilltoppers would score the next eight points before Scarberry would hit another 3-pointer.  Midway thru the first half after a Taylor 3-pointer the Falcons would be within four (31-27.)  The Hilltoppers would go on a big run to end the first half and would lead by 16 (56-40) at the intermission.
  The Falcons shot 50 percent as a team in the opening half and 40 percent (6-15) from the 3-point line.  The Falcons only shot 50 percent (2-4) from the free throw line in the opening 20 minutes.  The Falcons were hurt by 12 turnovers in the opening half.
Coach Tim Koenig talked about closing halves and offensive rebounding:
"We need to close halves better as a team. We were up four in the Wheeling game with just about seven minutes to go and didn't close it out. Today in the first half we were right there with West Liberty and next thing you know we were down 16. We need to do a better job on the offensive glass and not turning  the ball over. They had 11 more shot attempts than we did. No moral victories in this game but I believe this team is going to turn the corner, Koenig said."
  In the second half West Liberty would lead by as many as 22 (66-44) at the 16:38 mark before NDC would once again make a big run.  They would get to within five (70-65) after a Frankland 3-pointer at the 9:30 mark.
NDC Guard Jack Kelsheimer gave credit to West Liberty after they took NDC's best shot and also commented on the resiliency of the Falcons:
" When you play an up tempo team like West Liberty you are never out of the game.  We showed great resiliency and cut the game to five points late in the second half, but props to West Liberty on hitting some tough shots.  At the end of the day, we showed that we can play against two of the best teams in the country this week, and we are gonna be ready to go when we get another shot at these guys, Kelsheimer said."
Koenig agreed:
"When you play a team that plays the style like West Liberty does they get a lot of shots up and you are never out of the game." Koenig said.
  The Falcons would get to within eight at the 8:05 mark but that is as close as they would get.
  Koenig commented on the Falcons reinventing themselves:
" We are doing a job of reinventing ourselves with the guys that we have hurt.  We are playing a lot more three and four guard lineups to compensate for the size that we lost. "Koenig said."
Kelsheimer commented on the situation as well:
" With some of our older guys out, we have had to rely on a different lineup.  I think that we are continuing to get better everyday as we get used to playing with each other.  Everyone on this team is committed to winning and this is still going to be a special season. Now that we know we can play with the best teams in the country, we are ready to take on the rest of the schedule." Kelsheimer said.
Lastly, Koenig commented on practice time and injures:
" Halil Parks is day to day. Will and Ja'Sean are still out.  We are going to give them the day off tomorrow, then we will practice Monday and Tuesday." Koenig said.
  The Falcons will be back in action Wednesday evening when they head to Institute, West Virginia to take on the Yellow Jackets of West Virginia State. Tip time is set for 7:30 PM. You can catch all the action on NotreDameFalcons.com.

NDC Faces Stiff Test Saturday.

The Notre Dame College Falcons (3-4 1-2 MEC) will hit the road Saturday to take on seventh ranked West Liberty (6-0 3-0 MEC) at the Academic Sports and Recreation Complex. Tip time is set for 4 PM.
 The Hilltoppers were a 115-86 winner over Urbana on Wednesday night.  Seven Hilltoppers scored in double figures in the victory led by 20 points by Dolton Bolon.  Brandon Smith scored 14- Evan French added 13- while three players scored 11 (Eric Meininger, Dan Monteroso, and Tyler Primmer.)  James Griffin chipped in 10 as well.  The Hilltoppers shot 54 percent from the field- 46 percent from the 3-point line (11-24-) and 75 percent (12-16) from the free throw line.  The Hilltoppers crushed Urbana on the boards 48-33.  They had 23 assists and 12 turnovers as a team.
 Bolon leads West Liberty averaging 18 points a contest and is one of six players who average double figures on the season.  Monteroso scores 15.7 a night- Griffen scores 13.3 per contest- French puts up 12.2 a game- Meininger averages 11.5 a night- and- Jordan Watson rounds out the double digit scorers at 11.3 a night.  The Hilltoppers average 120.8 points a game thru six contests.  On the defensive end they allow 81.5 points a night.
  NDC is coming off a 91-80 loss to ninth ranked Wheeling Jesuit on Wednesday night at home.  Levi Frankland led the Falcons with 22 points in the losing effort.  Cole Hayes added 17 points- Angelo Cugini added 12 points and 11 rebounds- while Kyauta Taylor scored 10.  The Falcons shot 43 percent from the field- 44 percent from the 3-point line- and- 65 percent (11-17) from the free throw line.
  The Falcons are led by four players in double figures. Will Vorhees leads the team averaging 24.3 points a game, but will once again be out for this one.  Taylor is putting up 22.1 points a contest- Drew Scarberry is putting up 13.4 a game- and- Levi Frankland is averaging 12.2 per night.
 As a team NDC comes into Saturday averaging 90.6 points a game- while they allow 91 a contest.  They are out-rebounding the opposition by more than five rebounds a night.  They also get to the free throw line more than three more times a game than the opposition.
   You can catch all the action at NotreDameFalcons.com.