Notre Dame College (9-17 7-13 MEC) will wrap up the home portion of the season when they host West Liberty in the finale at Murphy Gym Wednesday. Tip time is set for 7:30 PM and you can catch all the action on NotreDameFalcons.com
NDC senior Dan Lott talked about his last home game in a Falcons uniform:
" Last game for us seniors ever playing on this court. We gotta leave it all out there."Lott mentioned.
senior Drew Scarberry agreed:
" We just need to go out and play our game and our pace. We need to end this home schedule with a w."Scarberry stated.
Coach Mark Richmond talked about the challenge ahead:
" It is our last home game. It will be another emotional game just like the last home game that we had. We have played very well especially at home in 2020."Richmond explained.
Richmond continued and talked about how they had a trial run on Saturday for the most part:
"We basically had a trial run on Saturday against West Virginia State. They are going to do a lot of the same things that WVSU did- mainly trying to speed us up. Against West Liberty I think it comes down to rebounds though. That is paramount. Since they do such a good job of getting in the paint- kicking to shooters and getting second and third shots. Stops are paramount but we are going to have to score to beat them. We don't have the firepower to score points like they do."
In the first meeting between the two teams it was a 96-70 win for West Liberty but that was like another season almost:
"We played them I think it was two days after Thanksgiving. It was almost like a different season. We had a few guys out back then.They have gotten better just like we have. I am proud of the way our guys have not given in. As a coach you want your team to be playing your best heading into March and I feel like we are doing that. I wish it would have happened a little sooner. Obviously the last two games we have not gotten the results that we wanted but we have also played three teams who are regionally ranked in that span. We obviously need to prepare for tomorrow- then at Urbana on Saturday- and- then hopefully the tournament next Wednesday."
The Falcons are coming off of a 97-90 loss at West Virginia State on Saturday. Scarberry led the way with 26 points and seven rebounds- Levi Frankland added 22- while DeAnthony Owens scored 20 of his own. Bruce Hodges stuffed the stat sheet with nine points- seven rebounds- five assists- and- a pair of steals. NDC shot 55 percent as a team- 40 percent (8-20) from the 3-point line- and- 80 percent (16-20) from the free throw line. NDC is scoring a MEC sixth best 78 points per game offensively- while defensively they allow a league fifth best 80.2 points per night. NDC is also in the middle of the conference on the glass where they are being out rebounded 34.1-34.2 for the season.
Frankland leads the team in scoring at 17.3 points per game- he shoots a MEC fifth best 54 percent from the field- while he shoots 42 percent from the 3-point line. The sophomore from Australia is averaging 2.2 made 3-pointer's per game which is eighth in the MEC. Owens puts up 16.5 points per game- grabs 6.2 rebounds- and- shoots 79 percent from the free throw line. Scarberry chips in 16 points per game- grabs 5.5 rebounds- and- shoots 36 percent from the 3-point line. He is sixth in the conference with 2.4 made 3-pointer's per night. Jordan Burton dishes out a MEC seventh best 3.5 assists per night- while he scores 9.6 points per game. Hodges and Frankland also get 0.9 steals per night.
West Liberty (22-4 17-3 MEC) is coming off a 109-88 drubbing of Fairmont State Sunday. The Hilltoppers with that victory clinched a share of the MEC regular season title. Reigning MEC Player Of The Week Dalton Bolon had 27 points in the game- Will Yoakum netted 21- Marlon Moore scored 18- and- Pat Robinson contributed 14. They shot 61 percent as a team- 43 percent from the 3-point line- and- 89 percent (8-9) at the free throw line.
Bolon leads the season box score with 19 points and nine rebounds per game which are both good for third in the conference. Yoakum is fifth in the MEC putting up 18.5 per night- while Robinson scores 18 per night. As a team the Hilltoppers out rebound the opposition 43.5-33.6- while they average 105 .3 points per game- and- give up 79.5 per game which makes them first in margin.
Richmond talked about West Liberty:
"They are such a good offensive team. They have three guys who score 18 or 19 points per night- but they also have a handful of guys who score between nine and 11 points as well. Can't wait to see how our guys take a challenge like tomorrow. Bolon and Yoakum are really talented offensively- then they got Pat Robinson who comes off the bench who may be playing as well as anyone right now. We need to force these guys into tough contested shots. They can score in so many ways. They pass the ball really well- and- move quickly. They are always in attack mode. These are the main reasons why they have been successful and been so good for so long as a program."
Hodges gave his synopsis from the Falcons side of things:
" We have to stay calm and relaxed. We have to remember basketball is a game of runs."Hodges explained.
Other MEC Games Wednesday:
West Virginia Wesleyan @ Fairmont State
West Virginia State @ Concord
Davis & Elkins @ Frostburg State
Charleston @ Glenville State
Wheeling @ Urbana
MEC Standings:
West Liberty 17-3 (22-4)
Charleston 15-5 (21-5)
Fairmont State 14-6 (20-6)
West Virginia State 13-7 (18-7)
Wheeling 11-9 (14-10)
Glenville State 10-10 (13-13)
West Virginia Wesleyan 9-11 (10-16)
Concord 7-13 (10-16)
Frostburg State 7-13 (10-16)
NDC 7-13 (9-17)
Davis & Elkins 5-15 (7-19)
Urbana 5-15 (6-20)
Atlantic Region Rankings:
1. Indiana (PA)
2. West Liberty
3. Fairmont State
4. Shippensburg
5. Charleston
6. Virginia State
7. MercyHurst
8. Johnson C.Smith
9. Fayetteville State
10. West Virginia State
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