NDC Gets Back On Winning Track.

The Notre Dame Falcons got back on the winning track Thursday night at Virginia Wise. NDC was a 91-77 winner over the Cavaliers in Mountain East Conference play. With the win NDC snaps a two game losing skid and improves to 17-8 overall and 11-8 in the conference. The lowly Cavaliers fell to 3-22 and 1-18 in the MEC.
  NDC was led by a 30-point effort from Tyree Gaiter- Kyauta Taylor also had a solid night with 21 points, nine rebounds and four assists. The Falcons also got a pair of double-doubles on the evening. Will Vorhees scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, while Ja'Sean Lewis added 12 points to go along with 11 rebounds.
  The Falcons shot 43 percent (30-70) in the contest.  They shot 37 percent (10-27) from the 3-point line- it was a solid night at the foul line where NDC shot 70 percent (21-30.)  NDC crushed the Cavaliers in the rebounding battle 53-34.  They had 15 assists and 14 turnovers.
  The Cavaliers were led by 30 points and 14 rebounds from Matt Day- Dimitri Sousa added 20- while Gervelle Kidd chipped in 17.  Wise shot 39 percent as a team (25-65) from the field- from the 3-point line they shot 34 percent (12-35-) they were solid at the free throw line where they shot 88 percent (15-17.)  The Cavaliers had 18 assists and 16 turnovers.
  The game was tight at the outset. NDC would take a slim 16-14 lead after a Taylor 3-pointer at the 9:30 mark of the opening half. The lead would stretched to six (23-17) a couple minutes later after a Gaiter 3-pointer.  The lead would stay at six until a 6-0 Cavaliers burst would deadlock the game at 33 at halftime.
  NDC would get a quick seven points to open the second half, after a Taylor 3-pointer, Gaiter jumper and Lewis basket.  The Falcons would go up by eight (46-38) after a Gaiter four-point play at the 16:31 mark.  After a Lewis basket NDC would lead by double digits (50-40.)  The lead would stay at 10 until a Jay Banyasz layup would make it 12 (59-47) with 10:50 to go.  NDC would lead by double digits much of the rest of the way. The Cavaliers would get to within eight, but that is as close as they would get.
 NDC will be back in action Saturday when they travel to Concord.  Tip time against the Mountain Lions is set for 4 PM. The Mountain Lions were a 99-97 winner in the first meeting at Murphy Gym on January 10th.
MEC Standings:
Wheeling Jesuit 18-1 (25-1)
West Liberty 17-2 (23-2)
Fairmont State 16-3 (22-3)
Concord 12-7 (17-8)
NDC 11-8 (17-8)
Charleston 10-9 (13-12)
Shepherd 9-10 (14-11)
West Virginia Wesleyan 9-10 (14-11)
Glenville State 7-12  (10-15)
West Virginia State 4-15 (6-18)
UVA-Wise 1-18 (3-22)
Urbana 0-19 (1-23)
Atlantic Region Rankings (Updated 2/16) (Top eight qualify)
1. Wheeling Jesuit
2. West Liberty
3. Fairmont State
4. West Chester
5. Kutztown
6. Indiana (PA)
7. Virginia State
8. East Stroudsburg
9. Concord
10. Notre Dame College