Hanging with the Big Boys.

The Notre Dame Falcons (2-5) eclipsed the century mark for the second straight game, but it was not enough Thursday at Murphy Gym.  The Falcons fell 125-103 to top ranked West Liberty.
 West Liberty improved to 6-0 on the year with the win in the highest scoring game in the short history of Murphy Gym.  The Hilltoppers had seven players score in double figures on the evening. Seger Bonifant led the way with 28 points for West Liberty, C.J. Hester posted a double-double (23 points- and- 16 rebounds. Shawn Dyer also had a double-double with 16 points- and 10- rebounds.  Kevin Goodwin (15,) Keene Cockburn (13,)  Devin Hoehn (13,) and Cedric Harris 12 also tallied double figures. The Hilltoppers shot 48 percent from the floor on the evening. They shot 35 percent (12-34)  from the 3-point line. They also shot 71 percent (25-35) from the free throw line. The Hilltoppers crushed the Falcons on the boards 57-38.  The Hilltoppers had 21 assists and 18 turnovers. They also turned 23 NDC turnovers into 37 points.
  NDC fell to 2-5 despite a solid effort. Four Falcons scored in double figures paced by Tyree Gaiter's 29 points.  Lawrence DeArmond netted 26, while Jarvis Huntley stuffed the stat sheet with 22 points- 12 rebounds- and- six assists.  Kaloma Figueroa-Jackson also scored in double figures with 17 on the night.  The Falcons shot 48 percent from the field. They hit just 25 percent of their 3-point attempts.  NDC shot 65 percent at the foul line (24-37.) NDC had 17 assists and 23 turnovers.
  The game was played fairly evenly for the first three and a half minutes as the Hilltoppers led 14-10 at the 16:28 mark.  NDC would then turn the four point deficit into a nine point lead (23-14) after a Jarvis Huntley lay-up capped off a 13-0 run.  The Falcons would lead b 11 (31-20) at the 11:40 mark before a 15-3 Hilltoppers run would give them a 35-34 lead at the 7:35 mark of the opening half. NDC would get the lead back (40-38) on a Gaiter conventional 3-point play at the 6:25 mark. The Hilltoppers would then go on a 13-2 spurt to take a 51-40 lead.  West Liberty would stretch that lead to 14 (67-53) at the half.
 The Falcons would stay in the game but could not get the lead back to single digits in the second half. After a DeArmond lay up with 9:26 to go the Falcons would again be within 10 (96-86.) That would be as close as the Falcons would get as they would drop this one.
  NDC will be back in action Saturday when they take on Wheeling Jesuit at Murphy Gym. Tip time is set for 4 PM.