The Notre Dame College Falcons (13-12 8-11 MEC) will be at home to close the MEC portion of the schedule on Wednesday (2/28) when they take on the 14th ranked West Liberty University Hilltoppers (21-5 15-3 MEC) at Murphy Gym. Tip time is set for 7:30 PM. You can catch all the action on MountainEast.TV
"West Lib is playing really well. They have won six in a row after hitting a skid at the end of January/beginning of February. We have to be smart and take what they give us," NDC head coach Mark Richmond stated. "We have to take care of the ball, get great shots, and possess the ball. We need to make them guard us on the offensive end and not give them too many easy ones on the other end. We need to be smart and pick and choose when we attack."
"Tomorrow will be a good test for us with two games to go until the tournament. We need to lock in and concentrate on the little things like rebounding," NDC senior Trent Williams explained.
NDC is coming off of a 87-81 loss to Fairmont State on Saturday. RJ Ogom paced NDC with a season high 25 points, Andre Harris added 19 points and 11 rebounds, while Devin Haid added 16. NDC shot 48.3 percent from the field, 30.4 percent (7-23) from the 3-point line, and 80 percent (16-20) from the free throw line in the contest. NDC is scoring 82.9 points per game which is good for fourth in the MEC, 45 percent from the field which is sixth in the conference, 35 percent from the 3-point line which is also sixth in the MEC, an MEC eighth best 70.5 percent from the free throw line, as well as being seventh in turnover margin and fifth in assist to turnover ratio. They are also fifth in MEC in assists per game (14.88 per night.) At the defensive end the Falcons give up an MEC seventh best 82.8 points per game, are seventh in field goal percentage against (44.4 percent.) They are also seventh at guarding the 3-point line (33.9 percent.) On the glass NDC is sixth in the MEC getting 0.5 (38.8-38.3) more rebounds per contest than the opposition. They are second in the MEC grabbing 12.9 offensive rebounds per night. NDC gets an MEC fifth best 7.40 steals per game and blocks an MEC third best 4.16 shots per game which is 30th in Division II. In the first meeting with West Liberty, a 109-84 loss to the Hilltoppers Jevontae Jones had 20 to go along with 12 rebounds, Ogom had 19. Robbie Cass had 11, and Haid tallied 10.
Richmond talked about that game:
"That was a long time ago before thanksgiving. Our roster is different, we have some players that are different, we did not take care of the ball and handle the WLU pressure in that game. Our guys remember that game and have had this one circled for a while."
On the season Haid leads the team and is eighth in the MEC scoring 15.5 points per game, the redshirt sophomore shoots an MEC fourth best 49.1 percent from the field, the Wooster native is seventh in the MEC shooting 82.7 percent from the free throw line, he dishes out 2.4 assists per game, blocks an MEC 10th best one shot per night, and is ninth in the MEC getting 1.4 steals per contest. Harris scores 12.8 points per game while the Brush product pulls down an MEC fourth best seven rebounds per game. Ogom also tallies double figures at 11.6 points per game and is fourth in the MEC shooting 84.6 percent at the free throw line. Gbolahan Adio leads the team in assists dishing out 2.6 assists per game.
Richmond talked offense:
"We need to shoot the right three's. Step in three's particularly when in the half court are good for us. Quick shots that are contested against them are like a turnover. They usually get those off the glass and are laying them in on the other end."
"We need to limit our turnovers and take good shots," NDC junior Josh Dames mentioned.
The Hilltoppers are coming off a 89-76 win over Concord last time out. Christian Montague paced WLU with 12 points while both John Korte and Dante Spadafora added 11. The Hilltoppers shot 50 percent from the field, went 9-24 from the 3-point line, and 85.7 percent (12-14) from the free throw line. WLU leads the MEC and is fourth in the country putting up 99 points per game, shoots an MEC third best 47.1 percent from the field, is seventh in the MEC making 34.8 percent from the 3-point line, are second in the MEC shooting 75.1 percent from the free throw line, while they are first in turnover margin and assist to turnover ratio, as well leading the league and the country in assists at more than 26 per night.
Richmond talked about WLU a little more:
"They are a very balanced group. The common misconception about them the last decade is that they win by just making threes. They can still beat you with the three and have some guys that knock them down which is critical for them but they get lots of offensive rebounds and second chance points. You have to keep them off the glass and limit them to one shot."
On the defensive end the Hilltoppers give up 79 points per game which is sixth in the MEC, are eighth in field goal percentage against (45 .5 percent,) lead the league at guarding the 3-point line (31.3 percent,) while they are the top offensive rebounding team in the MEC (14,) and are +3.4 on the glass (39.7-36.3.) boards per night.
Montague (11.7 points per game,) Zach Rasile (11.6 points per night,) Korte (11.5 per game,) Ben Sarson (10.5 per night,) and Chaz Hinds (10.3 per game) all average in double figures. Montague leads the team and is fourth in assists in the MEC at 4.3 per contest while Alek West is sixth dishing out 3.7 per contest. Korte leads the team on the glass with an MEC eighth best 6.1 rebounds per night, Sarson blocks one shot per game which is ninth in the MEC, and Spadafora is second on the team getting an MEC second best 1.9 steals per night. He is joined in the top five in steals per game by Montague (1.7) and West (1.6) per night. Korte is ninth in the MEC in free throw percentage (78.9 percent) while Hinds (2.3 per game,) Rasile (2.3 per night) and Montague (2.1 a contest) are all top 10 in threes made per game in the MEC in threes made. In the first meeting with NDC seven WLU players scored in double figures in the 109-84 win. Sarson had 16, Rasile 14, Finley Woodward added 12, Kyle Daugustino and Darren Fergus each scored 11, while both Montague and Lanyc Shuler netted 10.
Other MEC Games Wednesday:
Wheeling @ Salem
Fairmont State @ West Virginia Wesleyan
Charleston @ Glenville State
Davis & Elkins @ Concord
West Virginia State @ Concord
MEC Standings:
Charleston 16-2 (23-3)
West Liberty 15-3 (21-5)
Concord 13-5 (20-5)
West Virginia State 13-5 (18-7)
Fairmont State 11-7 (19-7)
Davis & Elkins 8-10 (13-13)
NDC 8-11 (13-12)
Glenville State 7-11 (12-14)
Wheeling 6-13 (9-16)
Frostburg State 2-16 (3-23)
West Virginia Wesleyan 1-17 (2-24)
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