Anytime you can get a road win in a conference like the Mountain East Conference you will take it. The Notre Dame College Falcons did just that with a 71-58 win over the West Virginia Wesleyan Bobcats in Buckhannon, West Virginia at the Rockefeller Center. In the process the Falcons took over sole possession of first place in the conference.
NDC (7-2 5-1 MEC) jumped out to a hot start in this one as Jaedon Willis hit a jumper to start the game then West Virginia Wesleyan transfer Daylin Lee hit a pair of 3-pointer's. He was playing his first game at the Rockefeller Center since being a member of the Bobcats. Lee would score 11 of the first 21 NDC points as they would lead 21-8 after a pair of Tyland Crawford free throws at the 14:30 mark of the opening half.
Head Coach Mark Richmond talked about Lee:
"Daylin Lee was key in getting us off to a great start", Richmond mentioned.
The second five minute segment of the game did not go as well as the first for the road Falcons. After a Jayden Hibbitt layup it was 21-16 NDC at the 12:03 mark of the first half. The Falcons led by 11 (32-21) after a Tyland Crawford jumper with 6:27 in the opening half. After a Sam Jackson jumper with 6:02 in the first stanza the NDC lead grew to 14 (35-21.) The Bobcats would briefly cut the lead to single digits but it was a 41-29 halftime advantage for the Falcons at halftime.
Lee had 16 in the opening half, while Crawford netted 11, and Willis scored eight. Mike Sampson added six rebounds, three assists, and a pair of blocks in the opening stanza. NDC shot 52 percent from the floor in the first 20 minutes, 33 percent (4-12) from the 3-point line, and was +8 on the glass (20-12) in the half.
Hibbitt led the Bobcats (1-9 0-6 MEC) with 13 in the first half, while Anthony Craven scored seven. WVWC shot 45 percent from the field, 33 percent (2-6) from the 3-point line and 33 percent (1-3) at the free throw line in the first stanza.
Wesleyan would cut the lead to 10 to start the second half but NDC a personal 4-0 run by Sampson as he converted a layup and a pair of free throws. NDC would have their largest lead of the game (17) after a John Godinez 3-pointer made it 56-39 with 13:53 on the clock. The Bobcats would score the next seven points before a DeAirius Barker jumper. WVWC would cut the lead to eight (58-50) after a Hibbitt jumper with 9:22 to go. Crawford would score the next four points and Lee would hit a jumper to stretch the lead to 14 (64-50) with 5:49 on the clock. Tyler Sloan would hit a 3-pointer but that is as close as WVWC would get the rest of the way as the Falcons came away with the 13 point road win.
Richmond talked about the win:
" Good road win today at WV Wesleyan. I thought we did a good job of taking care of the ball against their pressure and zone. We didn't shoot the ball great but we were good enough defensively that it didn't matter. Give credit to Wesleyan because they did a good job changing defenses and keeping us off balance."
NDC was paced by Lee who went 8 of 12 from the field and 3 of 6 from the 3-point line on his way to a season high 23 points, he also had seven rebounds, three assists, and a blocked shot. Crawford added 19 points and seven rebounds, while Sampson stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, a pair of blocks, and a pair of steals. Willis also scored in double figures with 10. As a team NDC shot 45 percent from the field, 21 percent (5-24) from the 3-point line, and 67 percent (16-24) at the free throw line. They had 15 assists and nine turnovers in the contest, and won the rebounding battle 39-31.
The Bobcats were led by Hibbitt who went 9 of 18 from the field on his way to 18 points, five rebounds, a pair of assists, and a block. Craven was the only other Bobcat in double figures with 10. They shot 43 percent from the field, 27 percent (4-15) from the 3-point line, and 40 percent (2-5) at the free throw line. The Bobcats had 12 assists and 11 turnovers in this one.
NDC will be back in action Wednesday when they host Bryant and Stratton College Buffalo. Tip time is slated for 6 PM at Murphy Gym.
Other MEC Scores:
Davis & Elkins 88 Alderson Broaddus 86
Frostburg State 90 Concord 74
Glenville State 99 Fairmont State 96 (OT)
West Liberty 86 West Virginia State 84
MEC Standings:
NDC 5-1 (7-2)
West Liberty 5-1 (9-1)
Charleston 4-1 (7-2
Fairmont State 4-2 (7-2)
Glenville State 2-1 (4-4)
Alderson Broaddus 2-3 (5-4)
West Virginia State 2-3 (5-5)
Concord 2-3 (4-6)
Wheeling 2-3 (3-6)
Davis & Elkins 2-4 (3-6)
Frostburg State 1-3 (3-7)
West Virginia Wesleyan 0-6 (1-9)
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