Finding A Way. Falcons Stay Perfect At Home!

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