The Notre Dame College Falcons held an extremeley talented offensive team to 21 points in the second half and rallied for a 75-69 win at Murphy Gym on Saturday. With the win NDC improves to 3-5 and 2-4 in the MEC. West Virginia Wesleyan falls to 1-9 and 0-5 in the MEC after the loss.
"We picked up our intensity and focus. We came out in the second half and took all the losing we have been doing of late personally," NDC redshirt junior Andre Harris stated.
"Obviously a tale of two halves. We were really good defensively in the second half. 13 second chance points and 15 points off turnovers in the first half and we eliminated that in the second half," NDC head coach Mark Richmond explained.
"Our main focus after halftime was defense, we really came together and guarded in the second half," NDC junior Gbolahan Adio said.
Harris led the Falcons with 16 points in this one, he was one of three Falcons in double figures. Junior Josh Dames added 14 points while Adio tallied 12 in the victory. The two teams went back and forth to start this one. Harris got the Falcons on the board before the Bobcats tied it. A traditional three-point play by freshman Cam Johnson put NDC up 5-2 but the Bobcats tied it at five after a Alex Mirhosseini triple. After Maxwell Harris put the Bobcats ahead senior Davin Zeigler knocked down a 3-ball to give NDC a 8-7 lead. With NDC down 14-10 NDC head coach Mark Richmond called on Dames and the junior responded. Jevontae Jones would find Dames for the first one, Dames would knock one down after an offenive rebound and the third came after a Devon Haid block as NDC led 19-14 with 11:35 in the first half.
Richmond talked about Dames:
"Josh is a good kid. He is a really hard worker that does everything that we ask him to do. We knew going into this one that he would have some opportunities because Wesleyan plays so much zone. Josh is a really good catch and shoot guy."
A Trent Blackshire dunk would stretch the NDC lead to seven (21-14) with 11:20 in the first half. The Bobcats responded with a 12-0 run and took a 26-21 lead after a Dieker Padrino jumper at the 7:35 mark of the first half. After a Harris dunk NDC was within two (28-26) with 6:27 until halftime. After a Curtis Litton layup the Bobcats held a 33-26 advantage. A Jevontae Jones layup and then a 3-pointer by junior Kaleb Torrence pulled the Falcons within two (33-31.) The Bobcats would close the half on a 15-5 run to go up 48-36 at the half.
Richmond talked about what the mood was like in the locker room:
"The first five minutes we usually meet as coaches and the players talk amongst themselves. We gave up 13 second chance points and 15 points off turnovers my message to the team was we needed to clean that up and they responded."
In the first half NDC was led by Dames with nine points, Harris added six, and Johnson tallied five. NDC shot 53.9 percent in the first half, 46.2 percent (6-13) from the 3-point line, and 40 percent (2-5) from the free throw line in the first 20 minutes.
Padrino led the Bobcats with 12, Litton had 10, and Jalen Canada scored nine in the first 20 minutes. As a team WVWC shot 46.5 percent in the first half, 77.8 percent (7-9) from the 3-point line, and were 1-1 at the free throw line. The Bobcats only had two turnovers in the first 20 minutes.
Richmond talked a little more about Dames:
"Josh kept us in the game in the first half. If we don't get those minutes from him that lead is insurmountable."
NDC came out with new life in the second stanza. Harris would spilt a pair of free throws and make a jumper for the only points of the first three minutes of the second stanza. After a pair of Dames free throws and a bucket by Harris the Falcons were within five (48-43) with 15:58 to go. Dames hit a 3-pointer at the 15:25 mark but Maxwell Harris answered with a three of his own for the Bobcats. Adio knocked down a 3-pointer and Harris made a free throw before a Zeigler layup pulled NDC to within one (53-52) at the 10:36 mark. Mirhosseini and Zeigler traded 3-pointer's before Mirhosseini split a pair of free throws. A layup by Jamarr Talbert tied the game at 57 at the 9:08 mark.
Richmond talked about Talbert's return:
"We have been patient with Jamarr. It was good for him to see the ball go in the hoop a few times tonight. I trust him at both ends of the floor. He has to get back mentally to where he was before the injury. The knee has been repaired and is fine. The mental block is the next hurdle. He took a nice step today in getting over that."
The two teams traded baskets before Adio put the Falcons on top with a free throw at the 6:48 mark. The next basket was a dunk by Harris at the 6:28 mark.He talked about it:
"I played off of instinct on that dunk. The defender bit on the pump fake and I attacked the rim strong."
After two Padrino free throws Adio knocked down a triple to put NDC up four with under six minutes to go. Talbert and Devin Haid scored to put NDC up eight. A 3-pointer by Talbert stretched the lead to 11. The Bobcats would not go away as they got to within four (73-69) after a Mirhosseini 3-pointer at the 1:04 mark and a free throw by Canada. NDC would do just enough down the stretch to close out this one.
Haris went 7-9 from the field to go with six rebounds, three assists, and a pair of steals. Dames went 4-5 from the field all from the 3-point line and hit a pair of free throws on his way to 14 points. Adio went 4-7 from the field and 3-4 from the 3-point line for his 12 points. Devin Haid stuffed the stat sheet as he had nine assists, five rebounds, and three steals on the day and a pair of blocks.
Richmond talked about Haid:
"Devin was really good against the zone tonight. He was more patient than he has ever been. He kept a body in front of him and made the right read. He had a lot of assists and good shots against the zone because of it. He made all the right plays."
As a team NDC shot 51.9 percent from the floor, 42.3 percent (11-26) from the 3-point line, and 42 percent (8-19) from the free throw line. The Falcons had 25 assists and 14 turnovers in the contest.
Adio talked offense:
"Offensively we got going because we shared the ball really well and took care of it."
The Bobcats were paced by Padrino who was 6-12 from the floor on his way to 17 points, Litton had 14 on 5-8 shooting including 2-2 from the 3-point line,Mirhosseini was 4-12 from the field and 4-9 from 3-point land on his way to 13 points, while Canada had 10 on 4-12 shooting from the floor. The Bobcats shot 5-28 (17.86 percent in the second half.) They shot 35.2 percent from the field and went 11-24 (45.8 percent) including 4-15 from the 3-point line in the second stanza. WVWC shot 61.5 percent (8-13) from the free throw line in the contest.
"It's all about staying consistent with your work even when you don't have the opportunities. So when the time comes you prepare for the moment,"Dames explained. "The term 'stay ready' so you won't have to get ready."
Then Dames gave the final thought:
"It was a great team win. I was just able to hit some shots off good passes from my teammates."
NDC will be back in action on 12/16 when they travel to take on the University of the District of Columbia on 12/16. Tip time is slated for 2 PM.
Other MEC Scores Saturday:
Wheeling 81 Charleston 80
Glenville State 97 Frostburg State 88
Davis & Elkins 74 Salem 61
West Liberty 91 West Virginia State 89
MEC Standings:
Charleston 5-1 (6-2)
West Liberty 4-1 (8-1)
Davis & Elkins 4-1 (7-3)
Concord 3-1 (7-1)
Glenville State 3-2 (5-4)
West Virginia State 3-3 (5-4)
Fairmont State 2-3 (5-3)
Wheeling 2-3 (4-5)
NDC 2-4 (3-5)
Frostburg State 1-5 (1-10)
West Virginia Wesleyan 0-5 (1-9)
Comments