Taylor Earns All MEC Honors.

Tuesday night Notre Dame College senior Kyauta "KT" Taylor learned that he was named All-MEC Honorable Mention when the league named the All Conference teams for mens basketball. The honor completes a stellar career for the senior from Cleveland who went to East Tech High School. Taylor averaged 17.2 points per game on the season.  He was the best free throw shooter in the conference shooting at a 85 percent clip- while he shot 42 percent from the floor on the year.  Taylor also averaged more than two steals a night.
Taylor gave me his thoughts on the season after the senior day win over Urbana Saturday:
" It has been a different season for me. With the injury to Will (Vorhees-) who was lost for the season due to a groin injury- without Ja'Sean (Lewis) who has since left the program) and without Kobie (Johnson) who is no longer on the team I have not been able to get many open looks this season. I would say that I have adapted the best that I can. It has been a rough season. I looked to pass the ball more this year and get more open looks for other guys." Taylor said."
Coach Koenig sang Taylor's praises:
"KT was so good at the top of our 1-3-1 zone Saturday. He will go down as one of the greatest players the school has ever seen." Koenig said."
 Taylor amassed 1932 points which is good for fourth in program history.  301 3-pointer's made which is good for second in program history- 282 assists which is good for third in NDC history- 188 steals which is fourth in school history- 3991 minutes played which is fourth in program history- and- 548 rebounds which is eighth in school history.
All MEC First Team:
Keir Anderson- Charleston
Taiwo Badmus- UVA-Wise
Tommy Bolte- Concord
AJ Carr- Shepherd
Haywood Highsmith- Wheeling Jesuit
Pat Johnson-Agwu- West Virginia State
Dan Monteroso- West Liberty
Pat Moseh- Wheeling Jesuit
All MEC Second- Team:
Aaron Ariri- West Virginia Wesleyan
Dalton Bolon- West Liberty
Preston Boswell- Wheeling Jesuit
Caleb Davis- Fairmont State
Jason Jolly- Fairmont State
Vonte Montgomery- Fairmont State
Darhius Nunn- Glenville State
Michal Seals- UVA- Wise
MEC Honorable Mention:
Kyauta  Taylor- Notre Dame
Thomas Lang- Shepherd
Malik Jacobs- Urbana
Jordan Watson- West Liberty
MEC Player Of The Year: Haywood Highmsith (Wheeling Jesuit:)
MEC Freshman Of The Year: Dalton Bolon (West Liberty:)
MEC Coach Of The Year: Ben Howlett (West Liberty:)

Succesful Senior Night! NDC Edges Urbana Saturday.

The Notre Dame College Falcons ended a season high nine game losing streak with a 83-74 win over Urbana on senior night at Murphy Gym on Saturday. With the win NDC completes the season sweep of Urbana and ends the 2017-18 campaign with a 6-22 record and 4-18 in the MEC. With the loss Urbana falls to 4-24 and 3-19 in the MEC.
  Drew Scarberry made seven of his eight 3-pointer's in the second half to pace the Falcons with 26 points. Angelo Cugini added 17 points-  Aaron Beidleman got his first career start and scored 15 points to along with four assists and two steals in 26 minutes of action. KT Taylor rounded out the double digit scorers with 10 points- five assists- and- four steals. Oliver Megins also made a large contribution in this one with seven points- nine rebounds- and seven assists in his final collegiate game.  NDC shot 56 percent as a team- 48 percent (10-21) from the 3-point line- and- 81 percent (13-16) from the free throw line.  The Falcons and Blue Knights each had 27 rebounds in the game.  The Falcons had 22 assists and 15 turnovers in the victory.
Malik Jacobs led Urbana with 15 points- Aarmanni Garnett netted 14- while Chris Jackson scored 13 in the loss.  The Blue Knights shot 53 percent from the floor in the contest- they shot 26 percent (5-19) from the 3-point line as well.  Urbana struggled at the free throw line where they shot 50 percent (5-10.)  The Blue Knights had 11 assists and 18 turnovers as a team.
  Spearhanded by seniors Taylor- Megins- and- Beidleman the Falcons got off to a good start and led 11-9 after a Halil Parks jumper at the 14:48 mark of the opening half.  The game would be deadlocked at 17 halfway thru the opening half.  After back to back 3-pointer's by Cugini and Scarberry NDC led 25-19 with 7:51 to go in the first half.  The Blue Knights would go up by seven (34-27) after Roy Hatchett Jr. knocked down a 3-pointer to cap a 15-2 Urbana run. The Blue Knights would take a 38-31 lead at the half.
 The Blue Knights were led by Jacobs and AJ Washington who had nine points each in the first half.  The Blue Knights shot 55 percent in the stanza- they shot 40 percent (4-10) from the 3-point line in the half.  Urbana shot 40 percent (2-5) at the free throw line in the opening 20 minutes.  The Blue Knights won the rebounding battle 16-12 in the opening half.  Urbana had eight assists and 10 turnovers in the half.
  NDC was led by Taylor who scored eight points in the opening half.  Angelo Cugini scored seven in the half- while Halil Parks chipped in six.   The Falcons shot 46 percent in the opening half- they shot 30 percent (3-10) from the 3-point line.  The Falcons made both free throws in the opening half. NDC had eight assists and nine turnovers in the opening half.
   The Falcons came out with a purpose in the second half. After being down by eight (46-38) the Falcons would go on a 14-2 run as Scarberry would drill a pair of 3-pointers to put the Falcons up 52-48 at the 13:42 mark.  Scarberry would hit a pair more 3-pointer's and NDC led 58-53 at the 10:57 mark.  The Blue Knights would get to within two (58-56) when Scarberry drained another 3-pointer at the 9:35 mark.  The Blue Knights would get to within one with just under five minutes to go and one second on the shot clock.  The Falcons got the inbounds into Cugini who scored the basket at the 4:52 mark.
" We executed that play to a T. It was a big moment in the game obviously." Coach Tim Koenig mentioned."
 The Falcons would secure the win with some solid free throw shooting down the stretch to end the season on a high note.
 Drew Scarberry spoke about finding his touch:
" In the first half I had a hard time finding my touch. In the second half that changed." Scarberry said."
On getting this win for the Seniors and the season as a whole:
" Aaron Beidleman played a great game today. He busts his butt in practice everyday and really played well today. KT and Ollie gave us big minutes as well. I am just glad that I could help this team in getting this win and leave it all on the floor for these seniors today." Scarberry said."
On his teammates:
" All the credit goes to my teammates in this win. We are a band of brothers and they were getting me the ball in the right spots today. It was fun to be a part of this game.  They set great screens for me and that is a testament to them as well." Scarberry said."
On how much work he puts in on his shot to make days like this possible:
" I would say that Jack Kelsheimer is the hardest worker on our team. But I would like to think that I am up there." Scarberry said."
 Beidleman gave his thoughts on the game and the season:
" It was a great opportunity today and I seized the moment. You do not take anything for granted. We have had a lot of injuries this year. For me starting the year on the JV team and being a part of the varsity has been a dream of mine that came true this season. You do not take anything for granted and it has been fun to be around these guys this season." Beidleman said."
 KT Taylor gave his thoughts on the season and what it was like for him in a different role:
" It has been a different season for me. With the injury to Will(Vorhees-) not having Ja'Sean (Lewis) and Kobie (Johnson) anymore I have not been getting many open looks this season.  I would say that I have adapted the best that I can. It has been a rough season. I have looked to pass the ball more this year and tried to get some looks for other guys. " Taylor said."
 On the defensive effort today and the matchup against Urbana:
" We seem to matchup pretty well against Urbana. For whatever reason we seem to shoot better against Urbana than we have against any other team. Defensively we played very well today. I was just trying to get my hands on as many balls as I could. Get my hands in the passing lanes." Taylor said."
Coach Tim Koenig talked about how happy he is for this group:
" I am so happy for this group of guys. It was so great to send these seniors out with a victory. " Koenig said."
Free throw shooting was one key:
" We made free throws today. Down the stretch we sealed the win by making free throws and that was huge." Koenig said."
On the defense:
" We forced a lot of turnovers today and that played a big role in this win. Not sure if that was the highest turnover number we have forced this year, but it had to be close (with 18.) ." Koenig said."
  On execution:
" We did a great job executing today. We talked about the play with one second left on the shot clock and that was huge. Also we ran a few staggered screens for Drew that got him open from the 3-point line. Again I am so happy for these kids. AB- Ollie- and- KT were so good today. KT was great at the top of the zone.He will go down as one of the greatest players the school has ever seen. Ollie with a real good all around game and what can you say about Aaron other than he played a hell of a game. As a team we got the ball in the post today and even when Angelo did not score he touched it. We executed very well and we came out on top." Koenig said."
Other MEC Games Saturday:
Glenville State 71 West Virginia Wesleyan 67
Fairmont State 79 Shepherd 76
Wheeling Jesuit 84 West Liberty 74
Charleston 82 West Virginia State 72
Concord 90 Virginia Wise 81
Final MEC Standings:
West Liberty 20-2 (25-2)
Wheeling Jesuit 18-4 (23-5)
Fairmont State 17-5 (21-7)
Shepherd 12-10 (16-12)
Charleston 12-10 (16-12)
Concord 12-10 (16-12)
Virginia Wise 11-11 (13-15)
West Virginia State 10-12 (12-15)
West Virginia Wesleyan 7-15 (7-21)
Glenville State 6-16 (8-20)
NDC 4-18 (6-22)
Urbana 3-19 (4-24)
MEC Tournament Pairings:
Wednesday 2/28:
#7 Virginia Wise vs #10 Glenville State
#8 West Virginia State vs #9 West Virginia Wesleyan
Thursday 3/1:
#1 West Liberty vs 8/9 winner
#2 Wheeling Jesuit vs 7/10 winner
#3 Fairmont State vs #6 Concord
#4 Shepherd vs #5 Charleston

Falcons Face Urbana In Season Finale.

The Notre Dame College  Falcons will take on the Urbana Blue Knights in the season finale for both teams and senior night at Murphy Gym. Seniors KT Taylor and Oliver Megins will be honored prior to the 4 PM tip. You can catch all the video and audio on NotreDameFalcons.com with Andrew Luftglass on the call.
  Jack Kelsheimer spoke about how badly this team wants to win this last game for the seniors:
" We just wanna go out and win it for the seniors.  Whatever it takes to send them out with a win." Kelsheimer said."
 Drew Scarberry agreed:
" We need to go out and leave everything on the floor for our seniors." Scarberry said.
KT Taylor agreed with both:
" Leave everything out on the floor." Taylor said."
   NDC comes into the game with a 5-22 record and 3-18 in the MEC. The last NDC win prior to this current nine game losing streak was at Urbana back on 1/20 when Halil Parks drained three free throws to send the game into overtime, and then the Falcons dominated the extra session to score a 95-83 win. Last time out the Falcons were a 112-68 loser to #5 West Liberty at home on Wednesday night.  Angelo Cugini (15 points-) and- Drew Scarberry (14) were the Falcons leading scorers in the lopsided defeat. The Falcons average 81 points a game as a team and give up 93.5 points per contest.  The Falcons average 11.7 3-pointer's made per game, but have really struggled from the 3-point line during the current losing skid.
  Taylor will wrap up his NDC career on Saturday but leads the team this season averaging 17.4 points per game.  The senior also averages 4.8 rebounds- and- 3.6 assists per contest.  Drew Scarberry scores 13.8 points per night and is the only Falcon to start in all 27 games this season.  Halil Parks is averaging 13.6 points per game but has had an injury plagued freshman campaign.  Angelo Cugini averages 11. 1points and a team leading 8.2 rebounds per night. Oliver  Megins will also close out his NDC career on Saturday averaging 9.4 points per game. He led the team this season shooting 45 percent from the 3-point line.
  Urbana (4-23 3-18 MEC)  will not qualify for the conference tournament either. Last time out the Blue Knights were a 90-65 loser to Wheeling Jesuit.  Carlas Jackson scored 27 points to lead Urbana in the game.  Malik Jacobs chipped in 12- and- AJ Washington hauled in a game high 11 rebounds.  As a team Urbana averages 70.4 points per game- while they surrender 81.1 per night.  Jacobs is the leading scorer averaging 16.6 points per game- while Jackson adds 12.4 a night. Closely behind those two is Ethan Snapp who averages 9.9 per contest.  AJ Washington is the leading rebounder at 6.4 a night.  While Roy Hatchett Jr. leads the team in assists at 3.7 per contest.
  Other MEC Games Saturday:
Wheeling Jesuit @West Liberty
West Virginia State @Charleston
Glenville State @West Virginia Wesleyan
Virginia Wise @Concord
Fairmont State @Shepherd
MEC Standings:
West Liberty 20-1 (25-1)
Wheeling Jesuit 17-4 (22-5)
Fairmont State 16-5 (20-7)
Shepherd 12-9 (16-11)
Charleston 11-10 (15-12)
Concord 11-10 (15-12)
Virginia Wise 11-10 (13-14)
West Virginia State 10-11 (12-14)
West Virginia Wesleyan 7-14 (7-20)
Glenville State 5-16 (7-20)
NDC 3-18 (5-22)
Urbana 3-18 (4-23)
Atlantic Region Rankings:
1. West Liberty
2. Virginia State
3. Shippensburg
4. West Chester
5. Indiana (PA)
6. Kutztown
7. East Stroudsburg
8. Wheeling Jesuit
9. Fairmont State
10. Gannon

#5 West Liberty Ends Falcons Playoff Hopes With Wednesday Clinic.

The Notre Dame College Falcons saw its 2017-18 playoff hopes evaporate after #5 West Liberty went wire to wire in a 112-68 win at Murphy Gym Wednesday night. With the win West Liberty improved to 25-1 and 20-1 in the MEC. With the loss NDC fell to 5-22 and 3-18 in the MEC. The win was the seventh straight for the Hilltoppers. While the loss was the Falcons ninth straight.
NDC Coach Tim Koenig summed this one up:
" It was a tough game for us in all assets of the game. That team has been on top of the league year in and year out for a reason. We had way to many turnovers and they had a ton more shot attempts than we did. Obviously we did not shoot the ball well at all tonight." Koenig said."
  On how much the trapping defense of West Liberty bothered the Falcons:
" It is a five man game and I do not want to focus on one spot.  We just need to better collectively as a team. The players need to play better and we need to coach better. " Koenig said.
  Dalton Bolon led six West Liberty players in double figures with 23 points.  Dan Monteroso added 17- Luke Dyer and Jordan Watson added 14- while Evan French netted 12- and- Brandon Smith scored 10.  The Hilltoppers shot 49 percent from the field- 40 percent (17-43) from the 3-point line- and- 69 percent (9-13) at the free throw line.  West Liberty crushed the Falcons on the boards 53-38.  The Hilltoppers had 24 assists and just six turnovers in the victory.
  NDC was led by Angelo Cugini who scored 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the contest.  Drew Scarberry was the only other Falcon in double figures with 14.  The trio of Halil Parks- Levi Frankland- and- Kyauta Taylor each added eight.  The Falcons shot 38 percent as a team- they shot just 18 percent (5-28) from the 3-point line- and- 85 percent (11-13) at the free throw line.  The Falcons had 14 assists and 17 turnovers in this one.
  West Liberty scored the games first six points.  NDC would have to climb uphill all night.  After a trio of Frankland free throws NDC was behind by five (18-13) at the first media of the game.  The Hilltoppers would then go on a 15-2 run to go up 18 (33-15) after a Bolon 3-pointer at the 11:16 mark of the first stanza.  NDC would cut into the lead and trail by 13 (44-31) after a Scarberry 3-pointer at the 4:38 mark of the half.  NDC would trail 57-39 at the half.
 Bolon would lead the way for the Hilltoppers with 14 in the opening half- while Monteroso added 13.  The Hilltoppers shot 48 percent in the opening half- they shot 42 percent ( 11-26) from the 3-point line.  The Hilltoppers missed the only free throw attempt they had in the opening 20 minutes.  They had a 27-17 edge on the backboards.  The Hilltoppers committed just three turnovers in the half.
  NDC was led by 11 points from Cugini- while Parks added eight in the opening half.  The Falcons shot 50 percent from the field in the opening half- 18 percent (2-11) from the 3-point line- and- 78 percent (7-9) from the free throw line.  The Falcons had eight assists and nine turnovers in the opening stanza.
   West Liberty would stretch the lead to 31 in the first five minutes of the second half.  The lead would grow to as many as 45 on a pair of occassions as the Hilltoppers would cruise to the victory.
 NDC will close the season Saturday at home vs Urbana. Tip time is set for 4 PM at Murphy Gym. As always you can catch the action on NotreDameFalcons.com with Andrew Luftglass on the call.
Other MEC Scores Wednesday:
Fairmont State 71 West Virginia Wesleyan 68
Concord 95 West Virginia State 91
Wheeling Jesuit 90 Urbana 65
Glenville State 72 Shepherd 65
Charleston 73 Virginia Wise 63
Atlantic Region Rankings (Updated 2/21:)
1. West Liberty
2. Virginia State
3. Shippensburg
4. West Chester
5. Indiana (PA)
6. Kutztown
7. East Stroudsburg
8. Wheeling Jesuit
9. Fairmont State
10. Gannon

Fighting For Their Playoff Lives! NDC Welcomes #5 West Liberty Wednesday.

It all comes down to this for the Notre Dame College Falcons (5-21 3-17 MEC.) The season that once was so promising has #5 West Liberty coming to Murphy Gym Wednesday night as the Falcons look to stay alive in hopes of qualifying for the MEC Tournament in Charleston, West Virginia next week. Any NDC loss or Glenville State win will eliminate the Falcons from playoff contention. The game will tip at 730 PM and Andrew Luftglass will have the call on NotreDameFalcons.com
 NDC Guard Jack Kelsheimer had these thoughts about a the upcoming rematch with the high powered West Liberty squad:
" We have to execute and take good shots. They are going to try and pressure us the entire game, but if we handle the pressure and take care of the ball we will give them a game." Kelsheimer said."
  NDC wingman Drew Scarberry added:
" We need to handle their pressure and work inside-out on offense.  Take layups against the press when we get the opportunity, and if not we need to run our offense and attack them in the post.  Also, defensively if we limit the second chance points and rebounds then we increase our odds of winning the game. Plain and simple, we just need to go out and get the job done now." Scarberry said."
  Coach Tim Koenig spoke about a brief film session they had today (Tuesday:)
" We practiced today and it was a good practice. We also watched the five minute clip after practice when we cut the West Liberty lead from 22 to five in the second half of the first meeting. " Koenig said."
   NDC comes into the game averaging 81.5 points per game as a team- on the defensive end they allow 92.8 per contest.  Individually KT Taylor is scoring 17.8 points per night and is coming off a 28 point effort against Virginia Wise on Saturday.  Drew Scarberry averages 13.8 per game- while Angelo Cugini scores 11 a night to go with a team leading 8.2 rebounds a contest.  The Falcons average 12 3-pointer's made per game and will have to be efficient from the 3-point line against a very good West Liberty team Wednesday.
 Last time out it was a 94-84 loss for NDC against Virginia Wise. The Falcons led by five at halftime and had made 10 3-pointer's in the first stanza before the late Cavaliers push led them to victory. In the previous contest the Falcons lost to Concord. In each of the last three games NDC has been right there in the last five minutes but could not break the current eight game losing slide.
   #5 West Liberty (24-1 19-1 MEC)  is coming off a 105-66 drubbing of Glenville State on Saturday. The Hilltoppers have won six in a row since the lone loss they suffered on the season against Fairmont State back on 1.28.  The Hilltoppers remain the top ranked team in the latest Atlantic Region Rankings, with the new ones being released on Wednesday prior to the tip of this one. The Hilltoppers beat NDC 103-84 in the first meeting between the two teams.  As a team the high powered offense from West Liberty averages 107.2 points per night- while they give up 82 a game on the defensive end.  Four players average double figures on the game led by Dan Monteroso who scores 19.1 points per contest.  Dalton Bolon puts up 16.8 points per night- James Griffin adds 12.3 per contest- and- Jordan Watson scores 11.8 a game.  Bolon and Eric Meininger are tied for the team lead hauling in 5.6 rebounds a game- while Monteroso has a team leading 82 assists in 25 contests.
  Taylor led NDC with 28 points and 10 rebounds in the first meeting between the two teams.  Scarberry had 17- Levi Frankland 15- and- Cugini added 10 with eight rebounds back on 12/2.
  For West Liberty Monteroso had 31 and Watson added 18.  Meininger and Evan French each had 11- while Griffin netted 10 in the 19 point victory.
Other MEC Games Wednesday:
Virginia Wise @Charleston
Wheeling Jesuit @Urbana
Concord @West Virginia State
Fairmont State @West Virginia Wesleyan
Shepherd @Glenville State
MEC Standings:
West Liberty 19-1 (24-1)
Wheeling Jesuit 16-4 (21-5)
Fairmont State 15-5 (19-7)
Shepherd 12--8 (16-10)
Virginia Wise 11-9 (13-13)
Charleston 10-10 (14-12)
Concord 10-10 (14-12)
West Virginia State 10-10 (12-13)
West Virginia Wesleyan 7-13 (7-19)
Glenville State 4-16 (6-20)
Notre Dame 3-17 (5-21)
Urbana 3-17 (4-22)
Atlantic Region Rankings:
1. West Liberty
2. Virginia State
3. Shippensburg
4. West Chester
5. Indiana (PA)
6. Kutztown
7. Fairmont State
8. Wheeling Jesuit
9. East Stroudsburg
10. Slippery Rock

NDC Suffers Tough Defeat Saturday.

For the third consecutive game the Notre Dame College Falcons were right in it, this time leading by two with 5:04 to go but they would fall 94-84 at the Prior Convocation Center on the campus of Virginia Wise.  The loss dropped the Falcons to 5-21 on the season and made it eight straight defeats. With the victory the Cavaliers improved to 13-13 and 11-9 in the MEC.
  Coach Tim Koenig broke down the final five minutes:
" We did not execute down the stretch at winning time, turned the ball over and they got some big offensive rebounds and made some plays when they needed to.  We did not defend the paint today. I must have said 25 times in the huddles today, we need to defend the paint better. " Koenig said."
  Kyauta Taylor paced the Falcons with 28 points- six rebounds- and- four assists in this one.  Drew Scarberry netted 20- while Angelo Cugini added 14 points and 11 rebounds.  NDC shot 43 percent as a team- as well as 43 percent (16-37) from the 3-point line. The Falcons shot 72 percent (18-25) at the free throw line.  The Falcons had 15 assists and 17 turnovers in the contest.
  The Cavaliers were led by Taiwo Badmus who scored 31 points and secured 14 rebounds on senior day.  Michal Seals added 22- Chance Sheffey scored 14- Yesid Mosquera-Perea added 12- and- Ricardo Hill also scored in double digits with 10.  Wise shot 47 percent from the field- 35 percent (9-26) from the 3-point line- and- 87 percent (27-31) at the free throw line.  The Cavaliers won the rebounding battle 41-34. They also had 16 assists along with just eight turnovers.
   The Cavaliers scored the first four points of the game but NDC would counter with a 9-0 run to lead 9-4 in the early going.  Both teams would shoot the ball well in the early stages of the game and after a Scarberry 3-pointer at the 13:31 mark of the half NDC would have a 21-14 lead.  After a quick 5-0 run by Wise Jack Kelsheimer would drill a 3-pointer for the Falcons that made it 24-18 in favor of NDC.  The Cavaliers would retake the lead 31-29 after a pair of Badmus free throws before NDC scored the next five points.  Oliver Megins hit a pair of 3-pointers for NDC and the Falcons would take a five point lead (42-37) at the half.
  Scarberry led NDC with 11 points in the opening half- Cugini scored eight and grabbed six rebounds- while Cole Hayes- Megins- and- Taylor each scored six.  NDC shot 47 percent as a team- 59 percent (10-17) from the 3-point line- and- 80 percent (4-5) at the free throw line.  The Falcons had a 19-18 edge on the boards in the opening stanza.  They had 11 assists and nine turnovers.
  The Cavaliers were led by 10 points from Badmus in the opening half.  Mosquerea-Perrea added eight- while Sheffey and Hill scored seven each.  The Cavaliers shot 41 percent in the opening half- 29 percent (5-17) from the 3-point line- and- 67 percent (6-9) from the free throw line.  The Cavaliers had eight assists and six turnovers in the half.
  The second half did not start out well for the Falcons as the Cavaliers tied the game at 43 when Koenig called a timeout at the 18:03 mark.
Koenig talked execution in the huddle:
" We didn't run a couple of our sets to begin the half. We did not execute and take care of the ball at that time either. We had a couple live ball turnovers that led to run outs at the other end. I just told the guys we need to hunker down and defend the paint better." Koenig said."
 Out of the timeout Levi Frankland knocked down a 3-pointer to give NDC the lead back.  Badmus would hit a 3-pointer for Wise at the 14:14 mark that tied the game at 52.  Wise would score the next five points but then back to back 3-pointer's by Taylor would give NDC a 58-57 lead with 10:40 to go.  The game would be tied again this time at 68 with 6:46 to go.  A pair of Cugini free throws at the 5:04 mark would give the Falcons a two point lead (74-72) before DeMarcus Edwards would knock down a 3-pointer off the bench for the Cavaliers. They would not relinquish the lead after that.  NDC would be within three (83-80) after a Taylor 3-pointer at the 2:43 mark but the Cavaliers would seal it by making free throws down the stretch.
  Koenig reflected on this one afterwards:
" I am proud of these guys. They have fought through a lot of adversity this year.  We have played better in the last week at Concord and here at Wise.  We just need to execute better at winning time." Koenig said."
Scarberry spoke of his thoughts after this one:
" We played hard today. We just weren't able to pull through at the end." Scarberry said."
 NDC will return home and face #5 West Liberty at Murphy Gym on Wednesday night. Tip time is set for 7:30 PM. You can catch all the action on NotreDameFalcons.com
Other MEC Scores:
West Liberty 105 Glenville State 66
Fairmont State 94 West Virginia State 81
Wheeling Jesuit 85 West Virginia Wesleyan 66
Concord 63 Urbana 60
Shepherd 75 Charleston 59
MEC Standings:
West Liberty 19-1 (24-1)
Wheeling Jesuit 16-4 (21-5)
Fairmont State 15-5 (19-7)
Shepherd 12-8 (16-10)
Virginia Wise 11-9 (13-13)
Charleston 10-10 (14-12)
Concord 10-10 (14-12)
West Virginia State 10-10 (12-13)
West Virginia Wesleyan 7-13 (7-19)
Glenville State 4-16 (6-20)
Notre Dame 3-17 (5-21)
Urbana 3-17 (4-22)

 

NDC Has Critical Rematch Saturday.

If the Notre Dame College Falcons have any chance of making it to the MEC Tournament in Charleston, West Virginia Saturday is a must win game when they face Virginia Wise in the rematch of a 102-101 loss in double overtime on 11/20.  You can catch the action on NotreDameFalcons.com
  Oliver Megins did not forget that night:
" We gotta rebound and play hard. They snuck away with a win last game so we know we can do this. They rubbed it in our face after last game so gotta come out with a chip on our shoulder and get them one back." Megins said.
Angelo Cugini talked about what the Falcons mindset has to be:
" We gotta play hard and play smart. We need this win! " Cugini said."
  The Falcons (5-20 3-16 MEC) have lost seven straight and need a win to avoid matching the eight game losing slide they had before defeating Urbana in January.  Levi Frankland tied a career high with 22 points in the 95-86 loss to Concord Thursday.  Drew Scarberry added 17- KT Taylor had 14- while Cugini and Megins recorded 12 points and seven rebounds each.  NDC averages 81.4 points a game as a team- while they give up 92.7 per night.  Taylor leads the Falcons averaging 17.4 points per night as he winds down his collegiate career.  Halil Parks returned on Wednesday after missing six games with an injury and averages 13.9 points per night.  Scarberry puts up 13.6 per game and shoots 38 percent from the 3-point line on the season.  Cugini puts up 10.8 points and grabs a team leading 8.1 rebounds per contest. Megins has been solid of late and scores 9.6 points per game. The senior is leading the team shooting 45 percent from the 3-point line on the season.  The Falcons make 11.8 3-pointer's per game as a team.
  The Cavaliers are 12-13 on the season and 10-9 in the MEC. They have won four straight.  Last time out they defeated Urbana 85-77 on Thursday.  Taiwo Badmus paced the Cavaliers with 24 points and 19 rebounds in the victory.  Michal Seals had 22 and dished out 10 assists - Chance Sheffey netted 16- and- Yesid Mosquera-Perea added 14.  The Cavaliers average 77.4 points per game- while they give up 82.1 per night.  Badmus averages 21.5 points and 10 rebounds per night to pace the season box score.  Seals puts up 16.6 per game to go along with seven assists- while Sheffey scores 12 per night.  Mosquera-Perea also averages more than 10 per night.
  Seals  had 24 points- eight rebounds- and- seven assists to pace the Cavaliers in the double overtime win in the first meeting.
 NDC was led in that game by Will Vorhees with 25 points and 16 rebounds.  Taylor had 20 in that contest but shot just 6-17 from the floor.  Scarberry went 3-12 from the 3-point line- and- scored 15, while Parks added 10 in the first meeting.
  Other MEC Games Saturday:
Glenville State @West Liberty
West Virginia State @Fairmont State
West Virginia Wesleyan @Wheeling Jesuit
Charleston @Shepherd
Urbana @Concord
MEC Standings:
West Liberty 18-1 (23-1)
Wheeling Jesuit 15-4 (20-5)
Fairmont State 14-5 (18-7)
Shepherd 11-8 (15-10)
Charleston 10-9 (14-11)
West Virginia State 10-9 (12-12)
Virginia Wise 10-9 (12-13)
Concord 9-10 (13-12)
West Virginia Wesleyan 7-12 (7-18)
Glenville State 4-15 (6-19)
Notre Dame College 3-16 (5-20)
Urbana 3-16 (4-21)
Atlantic Region Rankings (Top Eight Qualify for NCAA Tournament;)
1. West Liberty
2. Virginia State
3. Shippensburg
4. West Chester
5. Indiana (PA)
6. Kutztown
7. Fairmont State
8. Wheeling Jesuit
9. East Stroudsburg
10. Slippery Rock

Concord Outlasts NDC Thursday.

For the second straight game the Notre Dame College Falcons (5-20 3-16 MEC) were tied with eight minutes to go but could not get over the hump. Thursday it was a 95-86 loss at Concord.
NDC Coach Tim Koenig spoke of being right there:
" We were right there, on the road and it was anyone's game late. We just need to finish halves and finish games better than we have been." Koenig said."
 Levi Frankland tied a career high with 22 points to lead five NDC players in double figures in the loss.  Drew Scarberry scored 17- KT Taylor added 14 points- seven assists- five rebounds- and- five steals.  Oliver Megins and Angelo Cugini recorded 12 points and seven rebounds each.  The Falcons shot 48 percent as a team- 39 percent (11-28) from the 3-point line- and- 65 percent (15-23) from the free throw line.  The Falcons had 13 assists and 11 turnovers as a team.
  Concord (13-12 9-10 MEC) was paced by National Player Of The Week Tommy Bolte who recorded 36 points- the leading scorer in DII added six rebounds- and- four assists.  BJ Hamlet had 17 points- while Trey Brisco added 11 points and seven rebounds.  The Mountain Lions shot 46 percent from the field- 31 percent (11-36) from the 3-point line- and- 95 percent (18-19) at the free throw line.  The Mountain Lions won the rebounding battle 43-32, as they had 17 offensive rebounds in the contest.  The Mountain Lions had 17 assists and 12 turnovers in the victory.
  NDC got on the board first with a Cole Hayes 3-pointer before the Mountain Lions countered with a 10-2 run capped by a Hamlet 3-pointer.  Each team then made a run and it was 23-12 Concord after a Bolte 3-pointer at the 12:33 mark of the half. NDC would then come roaring back and after a Frankland four-point play the game would be knotted at 29 with 8:01 to go until intermission. The lead would change hands a few times and after a Darian Peterson 3-pointer right before the break it would be 43-42 Concord at the half.
  Bolte scored 19 to lead Concord in the first 20 minutes- while Peterson added nine.  The Mountain Lions shot 52 percent as a team in the half- they shot 38 percent (6-16) from the 3-point line- and- 75 percent (3-4) at the free throw line.  The Mountain Lions had eight assists and eight turnovers in the opening stanza.
  NDC was led by Frankland with 13 points- while Cole Hayes added eight in the first half.  The Falcons shot 49 percent from the field- 44 percent (7-16) from the 3-point line- and- 75 percent (3-4) at the free throw line.  The Falcons had a 19-15 edge on the boards in the opening half.  They had eight assists and nine turnovers as a team.
  The second half would see the Mountain Lions maintain a slim lead much of the way.  The Falcons would tie the game at 58 after a Frankland jumper with 12:05 to go.  After the Mountain Lions went back up by five NDC would tie the game again, this time at 65 after a pair of Taylor free throws with 8:11 to go.  The Mountain Lions would then go on a 12-4 burst to go up eight (77-69) with 4:03 to go.  NDC would get to within five but that is as close as they would get the rest of the way as they lost a seventh straight.
Koenig was pleased with the effort:
" I was disappointed in the loss, but the guys battled. I was proud of our togetherness but we need to execute better, especially at the end of the half and the end of the game." Koenig mentioned."
  Koenig talked about a few miscues:
" We had some defensive breakdowns on assignments while they got offensive rebounds down the stretch and that was the difference in the game. You can't win like that. " Koenig said."
  One other key was foul shooting:
" We kept talking about the fact that missed free throws would come back to haunt us in the huddles. " Koenig added."
  NDC will look to get back on track Saturday when they complete the road trip with a trip to Virginia Wise. Tip time is set for 4 PM and you can catch the game on NotreDameFalcons.com
Other MEC Scores Saturday:
West Liberty 77 West Virginia Wesleyan 66
Wheeling Jesuit 68 Glenville State 65
Shepherd 100 West Virginia State 93
Charleston 78 Fairmont State 65
Virginia Wise 85 Urbana 77
MEC Standings:
West Liberty 18-1 (23-1)
Wheeling Jesuit 15-4 (20-5)
Fairmont State 14-5 (18-7)
Shepherd 11-8 (15-10)
Charleston 10-9 (14-11)
West Virginia State 10-9 (12-12)
Virginia Wise 10-9 (12-13)
Concord 9-10 (13-12)
West Virginia Wesleyan 7-12 (7-18)
Glenville State 4-15 (6-19)
NDC 3-16 (5-20)
Urbana 3-16 (4-21)

 
 

NDC Hits Road Searching For a W.

The Notre Dame College Falcons have lost six straight and will look to get back in the win column when they take on one of the five teams that they have beaten this year, the Concord Mountain Lions on Thursday. The Falcons were a 86-76 winner over Concord in the hone opener for NDC. Things have changed for both teams. Amongst them NDC leading scorer Will Vorhees has been lost for the season, while Concord leading scorer Tommy Bolte did not play in the first meeting but should be in the lineup Thursday.
  Drew Scarberry had these thoughts about the Falcons best path to get back in the win column:
" We really played hard on Saturday. We showed that we are not going down without a fight.  We neded to bring that attitude and grit into the game tomorrow. We need to scratch- and fight even harder to come out with a w." Scarberry said."
  Jack Kelsheimer added his insight:
" We have to play hard and play together.  Concord is a good team but we're going to look to slow down their best players and give them our best shot. " Kelsheimer said."
  NDC (5-19 3-15 MEC) is looking to get into the league's top ten to qualify for the upcoming MEC Tournament. Last time out they were a 62-49 loser to West Virginia Wesleyan. Oliver Megins had his first career double-double (14 points and 13 rebounds-) while Cole Hayes and Drew Scarberry added nine points each.  The Falcons last victory was 1/20 @Urbana.  NDC comes into the game Thursday averaging 81.2 points per game-while they give up 92.6 per night.  Kyauta Taylor leads the Falcons in scoring at 17.5 points per game- but has really struggled during the recent losing skid.  Drew Scarberry adds 13.4 per game- and- Angelo Cugini scorers 10.8 points and gets 8.1 rebounds per night.
  For Concord they come with a 12-12 record and 8-10 in the MEC.  Last time out the Mountain Lions were a 86-80 loser to Fairmont State on Saturday.  Tommy Bolte scored 39 to lead the Mountain Lions in the loss.  Jafar Musa added 10 of his own.  The Mountain Lions shot 47 percent from the field- only 19 percent (5-26) from the 3-point line- and- 65 percent (11-17) at the free throw line.  The Mountain Lions are just 4-7 at home on the season.  They average 78.7 points per game- while they give up 80 per night.
  Individually Bolte paces the Mountain Lions at 29.9 points per night.  BJ Hamlett is the only other Concord player who averages double figures at 14.6 per game.  Jules Webster leads the team in rebounding at 6.2 per night- while Bolte leads the team at 5.6 assists per game.
The Falcons will be back in action Saturday when they conclude the road swing at Virginia Wise. Tip time is set for 4 PM and you can catch the action on NotreDameFalcons.com
Other MEC Games Thursday:
Urbana @Virginia Wise
West Liberty@ West Virginia Wesleyan
Wheeling Jesuit @Glenville State
West Virginia State @Shepherd
Chaleston @Fairmont State
MEC Standings:
West Liberty 17-1 (22-1)
Wheeling Jesuit 14-4 (19-5)
Fairmont State 14-4  (18-6)
Shepherd 10-8 (14-10)
West Virginia State 10-8 (12-11)
Charleston 9-9 (13-11)
Virginia Wise 9-9 (11-13)
Concord 8-10 (12-12)
West Virginia Wesleyan 7-11 (7-17)
Glenville State 4-14 (6-18)
NDC 3-15 (5-19)
Urbana 3-15 (4-20)

Bobcats Late Surge Sends Falcons To Sixth Straight Loss.

The Notre Dame College Falcons and West Virginia Wesleyan Bobcats met Saturday at Murphy Gym. The Bobcats used a 18-5 run in the last eight minutes to get the 62-49 win that would be the fifth straight win for Wesleyan. The Falcons dropped a sixth straight with the loss. NDC is 5-19 and 3-15 in the MEC, The Bobcats improve to 7-17 and 7-11 in the MEC.
Coach Tom Koenig talked about it being anyone's game today:
" It was anybody's game late. At the end of the game they made the plays and we turned it over. You can't win with 21 turnovers. It was probably our best defensive effort of the year. " Koenig said."
  The Bobcats were led by Luka Petrovic who had 15 points and eight steals in this one.  Fred Brondstedt added 12- and- Aaron Ariri scored 10 off the bench for Wesleyan.
 The Bobcats shot 35 percent from the field- 29 percent (6-21) from the 3-point line- and- 67 percent (16-24) from the free throw line.  The Bobcats had seven assists and six turnovers.
Koenig talked about the play down the stretch of Petrovic and Brondstedt:
" Those two guys made the plays for them down the stretch and that was a big difference in the game." Koenig said."
  The Falcons were led by Oliver Megins who tallied a double-double (14 points and 13 rebounds-) while Cole Hayes and Drew Scarberry each scored nine.   The Falcons shot 41 percent from the floor- 23 percent (6-26) from the 3-point line.  They shot 20 percent (1-5) as a team from the free throw line.  NDC won the rebounding battle 41-33.  They had 12 assists and 21 turnovers as a team.
  NDC jumped out to a quick 10-2 lead after a Scarberry layup at the 13:54 mark of the opening half. Then the Bobcats starting pressing, forced some turnovers and went on a 10-0 run capped by a Kam Cooper 3-pointer at the 12:07 mark to give the Bobcats a 12-10 lead.  NDC would score the next five points- then the Bobcats would counter with a 7-0 spurt to go up 19-15.  The rest of the first half would stay tightly played and it would be a 31-25 halftime lead for the Bobcats.
  Brondstedt led the Bobcats with eight in the opening stanza.  The Bobcats shot 32 percent from the field- 25 percent (4-16) from the 3-point line in the half.  They had five assists and three turnovers in the opening 20 minutes.
  For NDC Megins led the way with six points and seven rebounds in the first half.  Kyauta Taylor and Angelo Cugini each scored five in the opening half.  NDC shot 41 percent from the field- 18 percent (2-11) from the 3-point line- and- converted the only free throw attempt they had in the opening half.  NDC had a 23-16 advantage on the boards in the first 20 minutes.  They had seven assists and 12 turnovers.
   The Falcons started the second half much like they started the contest as they would go on a 8-0 run to start the half to regain the lead 33-31 with 16:49 to go.  Wesleyan would then go on a 9-0 run before Megins would go on a personal 4-0 run to cut it to 40-37 with 10:59 left.  Petrovic and Megins would trade baskets before the Falcons would knot the game at 42 on a Levi Frankland 3-pointer at the 9:20 mark.  NDC would take the lead on a Megins basket before the Bobcats tied it at 44. NDC would go back on top 46-44 after a Cugini layup with 7:40 to go. The Bobcats would then go on a 16-0 run before Cole Hayes hit a 3-pointer with 31 seconds left.  The Bobcats would gain the season split with NDC with the 62-49 win.
 Koenig talked about the defensive effort today:
" The defense was good today, pretty darn good. We did a good job helping on the bigs today. They made some shots but you can't take everything away." Koenig said."
On Megins:
" We got some good minutes from Ollie off the bench today. Ollie and Angelo did a good job on the glass." Koenig said."
 The Falcons will be back in action Thursday night @Concord. Tip time set for 730 PM. You can catch all the action on NotreDameFalcons.com
Other MEC Scores Saturday:
Virginia Wise 70 Shepherd 63
West Liberty 87 Charleston 65
Fairmont State 86 Concord 80
Wheeling Jesuit 81 West Virginia State 73
Urbana 89 Glenville State 68
MEC Standings:
West Liberty 17-1 (22-1)
Wheeling Jesuit 14-4 (19-5)
Fairmont State 14-4 (18-6)
Shepherd 10-8 (14-10)
West Virginia State 10-8 (12-11)
Charleston  9-9 (13-11)
Virginia Wise 9-9 (11-13)
Concord 8-10 (12-12)
West Virginia Wesleyan 7-11 (7-17)
Glenville State 4-14 (6-18)
NDC 3-15 (5-19)
Urbana 3-15 (4-20)

West Virginia Wesleyan Comes To South Euclid Saturday.

The Notre Dame College Falcons welcome the Bobcats of West Virginia Wesleyan to Murphy Gym on Saturday. Tip time is set for 4 PM and you can catch all the action on NotreDameFalcons.com with Andrew Luftglass on the call.
  NDC (5-18 3-14) looks to snap a five game losing slide as they face a team they have already beaten this season. When asked what is the biggest thing the Falcons have to do to complete the season sweep of the Bobcats. Kyauta Taylor did not hesitate:
"Get Defensive Stops." Taylor said"
  Drew Scarberry spoke to what he thinks needs to happen for the Falcons to get back in the win column:
" We need to come out with some fire and be ready to go play our butts off.  We know that we need to play as hard as possible to increase our chances of winning. It can be done but we need to execute our game plan. " Scarberry said."
  NDC comes into Saturday off a 85-64 loss to Glenville State at home on Thursday night. Angelo Cugini and Cole Hayes led the Falcons with 16 points each- while Scarberry scored 10. The Falcons did not shoot it well from the field (33 percent) or from the 3-point line (20 percent.)  They shot 71 percent (10-14) from the free throw line.  The Falcons were -10 on the boards as well.
  Taylor leads the team in scoring at 18.1 points per game but has totaled just nine points in the last two contests.  Drew Scarberry averages 13.6 per night- while Cugini gets 11 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.  The Falcons average 82.6 points a game- while they give up 94.0 points on the defensive end.  The Falcons make 12.1 3-pointer's a game but have struggled in the last three contests from the 3-point line.
  Wesleyan has won four straight after starting 2-17 on the season. Last time out they defeated Urbana 70-65 Thursday.  Four of the five Bobcats starters scored in double figures in the contest.  Luke Layhew led the way with 17 points- Dusan Vicentic added 12- while Nick Brooks and Fred Brondstedt had 10 points each.  The Bobcats average 66.7 points per game- while they allow 69.1 per contest.  Aaron Ariri averages 12.2 points a night to lead the Bobcats and  Vicentic puts up 11.5 per game.
 In the first meeting the Falcons used a trio of Scarberry free throws to win 79-78 on 1/6.  Vicentic scored 27 points to lead the Bobcats- while Ariri (19 points-) and- Brondstedt (11) also scored in double figures. NDC got 23 from Taylor- Scarberry scored 18- Oliver Megins netted 14- and- Cugini added 12 in that one.
  Other MEC Games Saturday:
Shepherd @Virginia Wise
West Liberty @Charleston
Wheeling Jesuit @West Virginia State
Glenville State @Urbana
Fairmont State @Concord
MEC Standings:
West Liberty 16-1 (21-1)
Wheeling Jesuit 13-4 (18-5)
Fairmont State 13-4 (17-6)
Shepherd 10-7 (14-9)
West Virginia State 10-7 (12-10)
Charleston 9-8 (13-10)
Concord 8-9 (12-11)
Virginia Wise 8-9 (10-13)
West Virginia Wesleyan 6-11 (6-17)
Glenville State 4-13 (6-17)
NDC 3-14 (5-18)
Urbana 2-15 (3-20)

That One Hurts. Cold Shooting Falcons Fall to GSU Thursday.

The Notre Dame College Falcons had a big one Thursday night and picked the wrong night to not shoot the ball well. NDC shot 33 percent from the field- and 20 percent (8-41) from the 3-point line in a 85-64 loss.  With the loss NDC falls to 5-18 and 3-14 in the MEC. With the victory GSU improves to 6-17 and 4-13 in the MEC. The Pioneers also gained the season sweep which would give them the tiebreaker would the two teams tie for the 10th best record in the conference and a trip to Charleston for the conference tournament.
   Three Pioneers players scored in double figures in this one.  Theo Brown led the way with 17 points- Darhius Nunn added 13- and- Brooks Elly added 12.  Glenville shot 54 percent from the field- and- 35 percent (7-20) from the 3-point line.  They won the rebounding battle 43-33.   They shot 82 percent (18-22) at the free throw line.  GSC had 18 assists and 11 turnovers.
  NDC shot 33 percent from the field- 20 percent from the 3-point line- and- 71 percent (10-14) at the free throw line.  They had 12 assists and 10 turnovers. Individually Angelo Cugini and Cole Hayes each netted 16 points- while Drew Scarberry added 10.  Cugini led the team with a team high nine rebounds.
  NDC would come out energized and Kyauta Taylor would get the Falcons on the board first.  After a few lead changes the game would be knotted at 9 at the first media timeout.  NDC would score the next four points after a Taylor free throw and a Hayes 3-pointer.  The Pioneers would counter by scoring the next five points.  After Taylor scored to give NDC a 15-14 lead with just over 13 minutes to go the Pioneers would go on a  9-0 spurt to make it 23-15.  The Pioneers would stretch the lead to 12 (32-20) after a Andrew Johnson 3-pointer at the 7:27 mark of the half.  After NDC briefly got the lead into single digits the Pioneers would take a 11 point lead(40-29) into the locker room.
  Nunn and Jon Dunnmyer had eight each to lead the Pioneers in the opening 20 minutes.  They shot 62 percent as a team and 50 percent (5-10) from the 3-point line.  Also GSC shot at a 75 percent clip (3-4) from the free throw line.  They won the rebounding battle 20-16 in the first half. They also had nine assists and eight turnovers.
  The Falcons were led by Hayes with eight points- while Taylor and Cugini each had seven.  NDC was a frigid 26 percent from the floor and 13 percent (3-23) from the 3-point line.  They shot 80 percent (8-10) at the free throw line.  The Falcons had five assists and five turnovers.
  The second half began with NDC getting a jumper by Hayes to get within single digits (40-31.)  Scarberry would score after a basket by GSC and the lead would stay at nine (42-33.)  Halfway thru the half Glenville would stretch the lead to 15 (62-47.)  NDC would not getting any closer than 14 the rest of the way as the Pioneers sealed the victory.
  Tim Koenig spoke about the defensive effort tonight:
"We played a lot better on defense tonight. We defended the paint better. " Koenig said. "
As for the offensive end:
" We missed shots tonight and our shot selection could have been better.  It is tough to win when you don't put the ball in the hole." Koenig added."
  NDC will be back in action Saturday when they host West Virginia Wesleyan. Tip time is set for 4 PM at Murphy Gym. You can catch all the action on NotreDameFalcons.com
Other MEC Scores:
West Liberty 110 West Virginia State 87
Wheeling Jesuit 75 Charleston 69
Virginia Wise 90 Fairmont State 82
Concord 76 Shepherd 70
West Virginia Wesleyan 70 Urbana 65
MEC Standings:
West Liberty 16-1 (21-1)
Wheeling Jesuit 13-4 (18-5)
Fairmont State 13-4 (17-6)
Shepherd 10-7 (14-9)
West Virginia State 10-7 (12-10)
Charleston 9-8 (13-10)
Concord 8-9 (12-11)
Virginia Wise 8-9 (10-13)
West Virginia Wesleyan 6-11 (6-17)
Glenville State 4-13 (6-17)
NDC 3-14 (5-18)
Urbana 2-15 (3-20)

A Season On The Brink.

For the Notre Dame College Falcons (5-17 3-13 MEC)Thursday night will be the biggest game of the season as they face Glenville State who they are tied with for 10th place in the Mountain East Conference. If the Falcons have any aspirations of making the MEC Tournament in Charleston Thursday is a game they have to win.
Coach Tim Koenig said so after the loss to Fairmont State on Saturday:
" This is a playoff game for us. For us the playoffs start now. We have to do all the little things in this one. We have to take care of the ball better- play inside out- contain the dribbler- help the helper. We need to rebound the ball. We need to exploit any mismatches we have. We need to get loose balls" Koenig said.
Jack Kelsheimer gave his thoughts about the contest:
" Right now we are tied with Glenville State in the standings. Our goal is to make the conference tournament. To do that every game is going to be huge.  That being said, a win tomorrow would put us ahead of Glenville in the standings. So it is definitely a big one. " Kelsheimer said."
NDC is coming off a pair of losses to Shepherd and Fairmont State on the road last week. It was a 107-90 loss versus Shepherd on Thursday followed by a 105-65 drubbing at the hands of Fairmont State on Saturday. Angelo Cugini had 15 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Falcons on Saturday- while Drew Scarberry and Cole Hayes each scored 14. Oliver Megins also contributed 13 points for NDC.
  The Falcons come into Thursday's contest average 83.4 a game- while they allow 94.4 per contest. The Falcons make 12.3 3-pointer's a game.  Individually Taylor leads the way scoring 18.6 points a game, but is coming off a season low two points in Saturday's loss.  Scarberry is scoring 13.8 per night- and- Cugini is scoring 10.7 points and grabbing eight rebounds a contest.  In the first meeting versus the Pioneers on 1/4 Scarberry led the way with 20 points- while Taylor had 15- and- Oliver Megins scored 12 in the 82-79 defeat.
  The Pioneers (5-17 3-13 MEC) are coming off a 78-75 win over Davis and Elkins on Monday night. Darhius Nunn poured in a game high 35 points to pace Glenville in that one- they also got 15 points from Brooks Elly- and- 11 from Theo Brown.  The Pioneers average 74.6 points a game as a team- while they give up 84.1 a night.  Individually Nunn leads the season box score at 18.5 points per game- while Jon Dunnmyer scores 11.1 a game- and- Elly puts up 9.9 per contest.  Brown leads the team averaging five rebounds a game- while Nunn averages 3.8 assists per night.  Dunnmyer scored 19 in the first meeting between the two teams- while Nunn had 15- and- Elisha Mayberry scored 13.
  Scarberry talked about how the team needs to come out Thursday:
" Every game from here on out is a must win for us. We have to come out with fire and we need to be ready to go." Scarberry said."
  "Koenig added his pre game thought:
" We will be ready to roll for our playoff game at home Thursday. " Koenig mentioned.
Other MEC Games Thursday:
Charleston @Wheeling Jesuit
Fairmont State @Virginia Wise
Shepherd @Concord
West Virginia State @West Liberty
West Virginia Wesleyan @Urbana
  MEC Standings:
West Liberty 15-1 (20-1)
Fairmont State 13-3 (17-5)
Wheeling Jesuit 12-4 (17-5)
Shepherd 10-6 (14-8)
West Virginia State 10-6 (12-9)
Charleston 9-7 (13-9)
Concord 7-9 (11-11)
Virginia Wise 7-9 (9-13)
West Virginia Wesleyan 5-11 (5-17)
Glenville State 3-13 (5-17)
Notre Dame College 3-13 (5-17)
Urbana 2-14 (3-19)

Tough Pill To Swallow.

The Notre Dame Falcons went into Joe Rhetton Arena Saturday and were walloped 105-65 by the Fighting Falcons of Fairmont State. With the win the Fighting Falcons improved to 17-5 and 13-3 in the MEC. After the loss NDC falls to 5-17 and 3-12 in the MEC.
  D'Ondre Stockman led seven Fairmont players in double figures with 15 points- Caleb Davis added 13- Cole Von Handorf added 15-while the trio of Andrew Emrick- Vonte Montgomery- and- RJ Hutcherson each tallied 11.  Donald Kummer rounded out the double digit scorers with 10 of his own. The Fighting Falcons shot 51 percent from the field- 43 percent (17-40) from the 3-point line- and- 82 percent (14-17) at the free throw line.  They had 16 assists and nine turnovers as a team.
  NDC was led by Angelo Cugini who recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.  Drew Scarberry and Cole Hayes each scored 14- while Oliver Megins added 13.  The Falcons shot 43 percent from the floor- 28 percent (5-18) from the 3-point line- and- 74  percent (14-19) from the free throw line.  The Falcons had 11 assists and 17 turnovers in the game.
  NDC coach Tim Koenig summed it up:
" Offensively they pressured us well, we struggled with the pressure. Our execution was not very good and they took us out of what we wanted to do. On defense they made some tough shots but they had way to many open looks. We did not contain the ball well. They were +25 on us in turnovers and +12 on us in second chance points. We did not get enough shots, they attempted 20 more shots than we did. We can not play that way. They got offensive rebounds- we turned the ball over- and- they had a bunch of second chance points. That is the recipe for our worst game of the year." Koenig stated."
  NDC had a brief lead early before the Fighting Falcons went on a 13-0 run to take a 18-6 lead.  The Fighting Falcons padded that lead and would lead 59-33 at halftime.  Fairmont shot the ball extremely well in the opening half, shooting at a 61 percent clip- while they shot 65 percent (11-17) from the 3-point line- and- 89 percent (8-9) from the free throw line.  Jason Jolly and Caleb Davis each scored 11 in the opening stanza.
  NDC shot 57 percent from the field in the first half- 50 percent (3-6) from the 3-point line-and- 75 percent (6-8) at the free throw line.  Scarberry led NDC with 10 in the opening half- while Cugini scored nine to go with five rebounds.
  The Fighting Falcons cruised in the second half. Nine players scored in the half. Cole Von Handorf had 10 off the bench in the stanza. Cole Hayes had 11 of his 14 for NDC in the second half.
Koenig talked about the upcoming game with Glenville State Thursday:
" This is a playoff game for us. Most teams the playoffs start at the end of the year. For us they start now. We have to take care of the ball better, play inside-out- contain the dribbler- help the helper. We need to rebound the ball. We need to exploit any mismatches we have. We need to get loose balls. It was a tough loss today but we will be ready to roll for our playoff game Thursday at home against Glenville State. " Koenig said."
Tip time is 7:30 and you can catch all the action on NotreDameFalcons.com
MEC Scores Saturday:
Shepherd 93 Urbana 68
West Liberty 105 Concord 92
Charleston 77 Glenville State 69
West Virginia Wesleyan 84 West Virginia State 70
Virginia Wise 81 Wheeling Jesuit 78
MEC Standings:
West Liberty 15-1 (20-1)
Fairmont State 13-3 (17-5)
Wheeling Jesuit 12-4 (17-5)
Shepherd 10-6 (14-8)
West Virginia State 10-6 (12-9)
Charleston 9-7 (13-9)
Concord 7-9 (11-11)
Virginia Wise 7-9 (9-13)
West Virginia Wesleyan 5-11 (5-17)
NDC 3-13 (5-17)
Glenville State 3-13 (4-17)
Urbana 2-14 (3-18)

Another Road Test.

The Notre Dame College Falcons play yet another road game Saturday when they complete a three game road swing with a matchup with Fairmont State on Saturday at Joe Rhetton Arena. The game will tip at 4 PM and can be seen live on NotreDameFalcons.com.
  The last time out NDC (5-16 3-12 MEC) was a 107-90 loser at Shepherd Thursday night. Four of the five NDC starters scored in double figures paced by Drew Scarberry with 28 points- Angelo Cugini added 18- Kyauta Taylor netted 16- and- Oliver Megins chipped in 12.  NDC is led in scoring by Taylor who averages 19.4 points a night- Scarberry adds 13.8 a contest- whle Cugini gets 10.5 a night and averages a team leading eight rebounds per game. The Falcons average 84.3 points a game- while they give up 93.9 per contest. The Falcons average 12.7 3-pointer's made per contest.
Cugini and Taylor talked about the keys to Saturday's game:
" We just have to play hard nose defense. Offense will come with great defense. Thats been the coaches stressing point all year. We can't worry so much about offense because that will come but defense is something that comes with heart." Cugini said."
Taylor added:
" Rebounding will be key also against this team."
  Fairmont State (16-5 12-3 MEC) comes in having beaten Urbana and Wheeling Jesuit in the last two contests. In the game against Wheeling Jason Jolly paces the Fighting Falcons with 24 points in the 88-82 victory.  Andrew Emrick added 11. The game previous to that one the Fighting Falcons were a 98-97 winner over #1 West Liberty on Sunday. Vonte Montgomery had 24- Cole Von Handhorf had 18- and- Jolly added 16. Last time out the Fighting Falcons scored a 93-79 win over Urbana. Kenzie Melko had 18 to lead Fairmont- Jolly added 16- D'Ondre Stockman scored 14- and- RJ Hutcherson chipped in 11. Jolly leads the season box score at 15.9 per night- Montgomery scores 12.6 a game- Caleb Davis adds 11.6- Emrick scores 10.9- and- Stockman puts up 10.5 a game. The Fighting Falcons average 88 points per game- while they allow 80.1.
  FSU comes into the game 12-0 at home on the season.  They rolled to a 107-78 win in the first meeting between these two teams in South Euclid on 1/13.  Emrick scored 27- Von Handorf had 15- Hutcherson had 13- and- Davis scored 11.
NDC was led that day by Taylor with 19 points- Scarberry had 15- Cugini added 14 with 14 rebounds- and- Halil Parks scored 11.
Other MEC Games Saturday:
Concord @West Liberty
West Virginia State @West Virginia Wesleyan
Virginia Wise @Wheeling Jesuit
Charleston @Glenville State
Urbana @Shepherd
MEC Standings:
West Liberty 14-1 (19-1)
Wheeling Jesuit 12-3 (17-4)
Fairmont State 12-3 (16-5)
West Virginia State 10-5 (12-8)
Shepherd 9-6 (13-8)
Charleston 8-7 (12-9)
Concord 7-8 (11-10)
Virginia Wise 6-9 (8-13)
West Virginia Wesleyan 4-11 (4-17)
NDC 3-12 (5-16)
Glenville State 3-12 (4-16)
Urbana 2-13 (3-17)

Hot Shooting Falcons Fall Short At Shepherd.

For coach Tim Koenig and the Notre Dame College Falcons offense has not been the problem much of this season. Once again that held true Thursday night as the Falcons shot 55 percent from the floor- 56 percent from the 3-point line- and- still fell 107-90 to the Shepherd Rams at Butcher Center.
Koenig talked about the game:
" We shot the ball well. We just need to get better on the defensive end. We need to defend better in the half court- defend better in the paint- defend better on the perimeter- and- defend better in transition. They got what they wanted in the half court- made some 3-pointer's in transition and that was the difference in the game." Koenig said.
  Drew Scarberry knocked down seven 3-pointer's to pace the Falcons (5-16 3-12 MEC) with 28 points- Angelo Cugini scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds- Kyauta Taylor scored 16 points- dished out six assists- and had three steals- and- Oliver Megins added 12 points- eight rebounds- and- five assists in the losing effort.
Koenig talked about the effort from Megins and Cugini in the post:
"Angelo and Ollie were very active tonight. They did a good job of being physical. They worked their tails off to keep AJ Carr and Winston Burgess off the boards tonight. " Koenig said."
  Drew Scarberry agreed with Koenig:
" We had a great offensive outing. We have to get more consistent on the defensive end. Plain and simple we need to play better and harder all the time." Scarberry mentioned."
  The Falcons shot 55 percent from the field- 56 percent (19-34) from the 3-point line- and- 50 percent (5-10) at the free throw line.  The Falcons had 19 assists and 10 turnovers as a team.
  Shepherd (13-8 9-6 MEC) was led by Thomas Lang who recorded a double-double with 27 points and 10 assists.  Steffen Davis knocked down six 3-pointer's on his way to 22 points- AJ Carr netted 16- Cam Stephens scored 12- and- Winston Burgess added 11 to go along with 11 rebounds.
 The Rams shot 59 percent as a team- 53 percent (19-36) from the 3-point line- and- 80 percent (16-20) from the free throw line.  The Rams edged NDC on the glass 33-25. They had 25 assists and eight turnovers.
  Shepherd held a 12-11 lead at the first media timeout.  Jack Kelsheimer would knock down a 3-pointer for NDC that would tie the game at 14 exactly seven minutes in.  Shepherd would then go on a 14-3 run that would give them a 28-17 lead after a Devin Smith 3-pointer at the 9:40 mark of the half. A 3-pointer by Lang right before the half would give the Rams a 52-40 lead at the intermission.
  NDC would come out hot in the second half. After a Megins 3-pointer at the 15:15 mark NDC got within four (60-56.)
Koenig talked about how they cut into the lead:
"We talked about it at the under 15 media, we got three stops in a row. They missed a contested step-back jumper and we were right back in the game." Koenig said."
  Shepherd would then go on a 9-0 spurt to go up 13.  The lead would stay in double digits until a Scarberry 3-pointer at the 1:47 mark cut it to 95-87.  Davis would knock down a 3-pointer and Shepherd would cruise to victory from there.
Koenig on what the team talked about in the timeouts:
 " We kept talking about active hands.  We talked about blocking out and executing better on every possession (especially on defense.)  We talked about these things at every timeout. I need to coach better. The players need to play better. We will get over this hump." Koenig said."
  The Falcons will be back in action Saturday when they battle Fairmont State. Tip time is set for 4 PM and you can catch all the action on NotreDameFalcons.com
Other MEC Scores:
West Virginia Wesleyan 70 Charleston 67
Fairmont State 93 Urbana 79
Wheeling Jesuit 94 Concord 56
Glenville State 92 West Virginia State 79
West Liberty 102 Virginia Wise 67
MEC Standings:
West Liberty 14-1 (19-1)
Wheeling Jesuit 12-3 (17-4)
Fairmont State 12-3 (16-5)
West Virginia State 10-5 (12-8)
Shepherd 9-6 (13-8)
Charleston 8-7 (12-9)
Concord 7-8 (11-10)
Virginia Wise 6-9 (8-13)
West Virginia Wesleyan 4-11 (4-17)
NDC 3-12 (5-16)
Glenville State 3-12 (4-16)
Urbana 2-13 (3-17)