The Notre Dame College Falcons (14-9 10-7 MEC) will look to get back on track tomorrow (Saturday) when they meet Frostburg State at Murphy Gym. Tip off is scheduled for 4 PM and Saturday will also be a chance to celebrate Senior day for the Falcons. You can catch all the action on the Mountain East Digital Network at MountainEast.TV
"We have to come ready to play, "NDC sophomore Jamarr Talbert mentioned. "It's simple as that. We let two games slip by us and we can't keep playing the way we have been these last two outings. After Wednesday we turned the page to Frostburg and we have to get back on track Saturday."
"Obviously when you get this late in the season a lot of games are magnified, "NDC head coach Mark Richmond explained. "It is about the totality of the season, they are all important. We are going to prepare the same way.. Frostburg is coming off a couple of good wins last week over AB and Glenville. They also had a good win over West Virginia State the week before. As for senior day it is a little unique this year because it's not our last home game. We have seniors that are from further away so we wanted to make it on a Saturday. It is an important night for those guys a night they should remember for their whole lives. The most important thing is getting a win on Saturday."
NDC is coming off an 88-69 loss at Fairmont State on Wednesday. Jaedon Willis paced the Falcons with 21 points, DeAirius Barker added 14 points and a career high five steals, while Tyland Crawford added 13.
Richmond talked about the Falcons offense dropping off of late (three straight games in the 60's and poor 3-point shooting:)
"It is a combination of things I think. You have to be ready to play each and every week. Some of it is not moving the ball as well as we were earlier in the season, some of it is just some days it does'n't go in. We have had to play from behind of late and that usually means shooting the ball quicker trying to get back into the game. "
NDC won the first meeting against the Bobcats 83-77 on 1.4. Willis scored 26 to lead the way in that one, Daylin Lee added 14, while both Crawford and Barker tallied nine.
As a team the Falcons score an MEC sixth best 82.3 points per game. On the defensive end they are second in the conference giving up 75.9 points per game. They are 11th in the conference shooting 44.2 percent from the field, while they are second holding the opposition to 42.2 percent shooting. They are fourth in the MEC shooting 36.7 percent from long range while defensively they hold the opposition to 28.9 percent shooting from 3-point land which is tops in the MEC. The Falcons also lead the MEC in free throw percentage shooting 77.9 percent. On the glass NDC is being out-rebounded by 0.3 (38.4-38.7) rebounds per contest.
Willis is the top scorer putting up an MEC second best and 13th in the country 22.1 points per game. The Baltimore native is 11th in the country totalling 509 points this year. The senior is 146-162 from the free throw line which is third in the country, is second in the MEC shooting 90 percent at the foul line which is also 16th in the country. Willis has also been lethal from long distance where he shoots 41.4 percent and makes 2.9 three's per game which are both good for fourth in the conference. Barker also scores in double figures at 11.5 per game while he dishes out 3.3 assists per game which leads the team and is 10th in the league. Obinna Ugwuakazi is the teams leading rebounder grabbing 5.1 caroms per night.
The Bobcats (8-15 4-13 MEC) are coming off an 87-72 win at Alderson Broaddus last time out. Agiye Edwards led the way with 33 points, Jaylen Johnson netted 13, and Jason Murphy tallied 11. In the first meeting between the two teams Tairrell Fletcher had 23, Murphy added 18, and Juston Bailey tallied 11. As a team the Bobcats score 77.5 points per game which is 10th in the MEC, they allow 85 points per night which makes them the worst defensive team in the conference. Similarly they are 10th in the conference in field goal percentage (44.2 percent) and 11th defensively allowing the opposition to shoot 46.1 percent. They shoot 29.5 percent from the 3-point line and allow the opposition to shoot 46.1 percent which is the bottom spot in the league in both categories. Frostburg is also the bottom free throw shooting team in the conference shooting 67.1 percent from the line. On the glass they are sixth in the conference being out-rebounded by 0.5 (36.0-36.5) rebounds per night. Fletcher leads the team and is seventh in the MEC putting up 17 points per game. Richmond talked about him:
"Fletcher has missed the last couple games. I am not sure why."
Murphy stuffs the stat sheet putting up 15.6 points and an MEC second best 8.8 rebounds per game, he is also tied for the league lead in blocked shots (1.7.)
Richmond talked about Murphy:
"He is obviously one of the best big men in our conference. He is hard to handle, we will have to have a plan for him. He is obviously bigger in size than the majority of guys in our league. He can change shots but we will have to do a good job of moving him. Our guys will try and get him out on the perimeter. He had a good game offensively the first time we played them but we put him in ball screens and away from the rim. We will look to do that again."
Edwards is averaging 15.5 points per game. He is coming off a big game on Wednesday. Richmond talked about that and him:
"Edwards has really stepped up the last couple games. He is coming off a 33 point game on Wednesday. Jaylin Alburry leads the team in assists at three per night.
"Opportunity for us to get back on track in a game we need especially at home where we dropped a game last time, "Willis stated.
Other MEC Games Saturday:
Concord @ West Liberty
West Virginia Wesleyan @ West Virginia State
Davis& Elkins @ Charleston
Fairmont State @ Alderson Broaddus
Glenville State @ Wheeling
MEC Standings:
West Liberty 15-2 (20-3)
Fairmont State 13-4 (18-5)
Charleston 13-4 (16-7)
West Virginia State 10-7 (16-7)
NDC 10-7 (14-9)
Glenville State 9-8 (13-10)
Concord 9-8 (12-10)
Davis & Elkins 8-9 (14-9)
Alderson Broaddus 6-11 (8-14)
Frostburg State 4-13 (8-15)
Wheeling 3-14 (5-18)
West Virginia Wesleyan 2-15 (2-20)
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