The Notre Dame College Falcons (14-13 8-12 MEC) are set to battle the Wheeling University Cardinals (10-17 6-14 MEC) in the opening round of the Mountain East Conference Tournament at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, West Virginia with tip time set for tomorrow (3/6) at 8:30 PM. You can catch all the action on MountainEast.TV
"Excited to get to Wheeling and compete in the MEC Tournament," NDC head coach Mark Richmond said. "Wheeling is a talented team that has really improved throughout the year with the conference's leading scorer.. "We will have to do a good job on him because he can score on all three levels. Our guys know what is on the line and I fully expect them to compete at a high level."
NDC is coming off a 76-63 win over Salem on Saturday. Devin Haid led NDC with 18 points and nine rebounds, RJ Ogom scored 17, and both Trent Williams and Gbolahan Adio aded 10. NDC shot 39.1 percent from the field, 25 percent (6-24) from the 3-point line, and 80 percent (16-20) from the free throw line in the win. In the first meeting with Wheeling on 11/18 (A 79-66 NDC win) Ogom scored 20 and Haid added 17. They shot 45.2 percent from the field, 33.3 percent (7-21) from the 3-point line, and 72.7 percent (16-22) from the free throw line. They also won the rebounding battle 44-41 In the second meeting (a 80-71 NDC win on 1.24) Josh Dames had 16, Haid had 15, Jamarr Talbert added 11, while both Williams and Andre Harris tallied 10. NDC won the rebounding battle 42-28 in that game.NDC is tied for fourth in the MEC scoring 82.8 points per game, shoots an MEC seventh best 45 percent from the field and 34.8 percent from three which is also seventh in the conference. They shoot 71 percent from the free throw line which is eighth in the MEC. NDC is fifth in assist to turnover ratio (+1.03) and dishes out 14.78 assists per game which is fourth in the league. On defense they give up an MEC seventh best 82.3 points per game, 44.3 percent field goals against (seventh in the MEC) and +1.3 (39.2-37.9) rebounds per night. The Falcons are second in the conference on the offensive glass. They are eighth in turnover margin and block an MEC third best 4.04 shots per night. Haid was selected to the all conference second team as he is scoring 15.7 points per game (eighth in the MEC,) grabs 5.7 rebounds per night, shoots 49.2 percent from the floor (fourth in the MEC,) dishes out 2.5 assists per game, gets 1.4 steals per night and blocks 0.9 shots per game. Haid also shoots an MEC fourth best 84.3 percent from the free throw line. Harris scores 12.4 per game and is pulling down an MEC fourth best 7.1 rebounds per night. The Brush product also blocks 0.7 shots per game. Ogom scores 11.9 per night and is fifth in the MEC making 84.2 percent of his foul shots. Adio leads team in assists at 2.6 per night.
Wheeling is coming off a 107-92 loss to West Liberty on Saturday. Jerry Sanders had 17, Tee Harris added 13, and Sean Ealy tallied 12. The Cardinals shot 46.9 percent from the field, 50 percent (11-22) from the 3-point line, and 87.5 percent (21-24) at the free throw line. In the first meeting with NDC Marcus Johnson had 29, and Ealy tallied 10. In the most recent meeting Ealy had 19, SJ Hutchinson tallied 14, and Trey Stoffer netted 11. Wheeling scores an MEC sixth best 82 points per game, shoots an MEC eighth best 44.5 percent from the field, 37 percent from the 3-point line (third MEC,) and 76 percent at the free throw line while they dish out 11.48 assists per game which is 10th in the MEC. On the defensive end they give up an MEC ninth best 86.4 per game, allow 45.8 percent shooting from the field (eighth in the MEC) and 35 percent from the 3-point line (eighth in the MEC.) WU is -2.2 (37.1-39.3) rebounds per game which is ninth in the MEC, 10th in both turnover margin (-1.56) and assist to turnover ratio. They block 3,89 shots per game as well which is fifth in the MEC. Johnson leads the MEC in scoring at 21.5 points per game, is tied for second in rebounds (7.8) per night and he is tied for second in the MEC shooting 46.2 percent from the 3-point line. Johnson steals the ball 1.3 times per game which is tied for 10th in the MEC and dishes out 3.2 assists per game. The conference's leading scorer is also second in the MEC in minutes played (32.9) per night. Ealy scores 13.8 per game and Hutchinson rounds out the double digit scorers at 10 per night. Kevin Coleman is tied for third in the MEC blocking 1.4 shots per game as well.
"My expectations for this team are to make a run in the MEC Tournament. I think we have what it takes to win it," NDC guard Aidan Filippini stated.
"The goal is to win. For me and everyone, we need to take it one game at a time," NDC senior guard Trent Williams mentioned.
Other MEC Opening Round Game Wednesday:
Friday Schedule:
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