NDC Welcomes #4 West Liberty For Key MEC Clash.

The Notre Dame Falcons (13-4 7-4 MEC) will host the fourth ranked West Liberty Hilltoppers (16-1 10-1 MEC) in a key Mountain East Conference clash at Murphy Gym. It will be the second straight Saturday NDC has faced a top five opponent at Murphy Gym.  Tip time time is set for 4 PM.
   NDC comes into the game off a 96-75 win at Urbana on Thursday night that snapped a brief two game losing slide.  The Falcons Will Vorhees scored more than 40 points for the third time in the month of January (42 and nine rebounds) on Thursday. He has had to pick up some of the offensive slack for the injured Kobie Johnson (concussion.)  Johnson is a game time decision for Saturday's contest.  Kyauta Taylor also scored in double figures with 23 points versus Urbana- while Ja'Sean Lewis added 12 points and 14 rebounds.
  The Falcons come into Saturday's game 5-3 at home on the year. They have lost the last two at Murphy Gym.  NDC averages 85.8 points per game- while they give up 81.5 a night.  The Falcons have been efficient from both the field (48 percent on the season) and the 3-point line (36 percent) on the season.  They have out rebounded their opponents by more than four rebounds a game. They have also averaged more than three assists more than the opponents.  NDC has also blocked 93 shot as a team this season- as opposed to 24 for the opponents.
  Will Vorhees and Kyauta Taylor have done the bulk of the scoring on the season.  Vorhees comes into Saturday averaging 28.5 points a game to go along with 11.2 rebounds a contest- Taylor puts up 22.5 a night- and- Ja'Sean Lewis is second on the team also averaging double figure rebounds at 10.5 a game. Lewis also leads the team in assists (5.5 per night.)
  The Hilltoppers are coming off a 96-90 double overtime win over Wheeling Jesuit last time out.  Five Hilltoppers scored in double figures in the win.  Dan Monteroso and David Dennis each scored 17- Devin Hoehn netted 15- while James Griffin and Zac Grossenbacher each tallied 14.  They shot 41 percent from the field in the win- while they shot 33 percent (10-30) from the 3-point line.  They were out rebounded by Wheeling 53-41- while they shot 74 percent (20-27) from the free throw line. The Hilltoppers have won nine straight since the lone loss they suffered on the season to Fairmont State on December 4th.
  Four players average in double figures on the season.  They are paced by Monteroso (17.9 points a game- Hoehn 16 a night- Dennis 13.1 per game and Grossenbacher (11.6 a game.)  Grossenbacher leads them in rebounding at nine per contest- while Dennis averages 6.2 assists per game.
  Other MEC Games Saturday:
Urbana@Wheeling Jesuit
Concord@West Virginia State
West Virginia Wesleyan@Fairmont State
Shepherd@Glenville State
Charleston@Virginia Wise
MEC Standings:
Fairmont State 11-0 (17-0)
West Liberty 10-1 (16-1)
Wheeling Jesuit 9-2 (15-2)
Notre Dame College 7-4 (13-4)
Shepherd 7-4 (10-7)
Glenville State 5-6 (8-7)
West Virginia Wesleyan 5-6 (8-9)
Charleston 4-7 (10-7)
Urbana 3-8 (8-9)
West Virginia State 2-9 (5-12)
Virginia Wise 2-9 (4-13)
Concord 1-10 (5-12)