The Notre Dame College Falcons (11-7 8-5 MEC) travel to Glenville, West Virginia to battle the Pioneers (12-7 8-5 MEC) as they seek the season sweep. Tip time is set for 4 PM from the Grimes Center. You can catch all the action on the Mountain East Digital Network at MountainEast.TV
"We are excited for the opportunity to play a very tough Glenville team, "NDC head coach Mark Richmond explained.
"Another great opportunity for us, "NDC senior Guard Jaedon Willis mentioned. "We've got to hit the glass and play great defense, set the tempo and offensively continue to play the way that we have been playing."
"Looking forward to playing how we play, playing fast, playing hard, "sophomore guard Kaleb Torrence added. "Rebounding, playing good defense and sharing the ball will keep us going on this win streak that we are on."
NDC is coming off a 84-75 win over Concord last time out. Willis scored 29, DeAirius Barker scored 20 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, and dished out nine assists. Obinna Ugwuakazi chipped in 12 points and 12 rebounds, while Jamarr Talbert added 12.
As a team the Falcons score 82.2 points per game which is fifth in the MEC while defensively they allow an MEC second best 75.8 points per night. NDC shoots 43.5 percent which is 11th in the MEC, defensively the Falcons are best in the conference holding the opposition to 41.5 percent shooting from the floor. NDC is third in the MEC shooting at a 37 percent clip from the 3-point line, the opposition shoots 28.8 percent from the 3-point line which is also tops in the MEC. The Falcons shoot at a 76 percent clip from the free throw line which is second in the MEC, on the glass NDC is being out rebounded by 0.3 (39.5-39.8) rebounds per contest.
Willis paces the season box score at 22.1 points per game which is second in the MEC and 12th in the country. The senior from Baltimore is also second in the MEC in 3-point percentage (42.1) and third in the MEC in 3-pointer's per game (2.9.) Barker has had the hot hand of late and is second on the team putting up 11.7 points per night. The redshirt sophomore from Cincinnati Princeton is dishing out a team leading 3.4 assists per game which is 10th in the MEC and is coming off a career high nine last time out. Ugwuakazi leads the team on the glass at five per night and tied his season high with 12 on Wednesday. In the first meeting back in November Willis netted 22, Talbert tallied 14, and Barker chipped in 11.
Glenville is coming off a 74-72 overtime loss to Alderson Broaddus on Wednesday. Jordan "Turbo" Smith scored 26, Trevor Chandler added 12, while both Freddie Word and Jacquez Yow netted 11. As a team GSU scores 87.8 points per game which is fourth in the MEC while defensively they allow 77.5 points per game which is third in the MEC. The Pioneers shoot an MEC fourth best 46.6 percent from the field, while the opposition shoots 45.2 percent which makes GSU the seventh best defensive team in the conference in that category. The Pioneers shoot 36.1 percent from the 3-point line which is sixth in the MEC, while defensively they are third allowing a 32.5 percent 3-point shooting clip from the 3-point line. GSU shoots an MEC eighth best 69.4 percent at the free throw line. The Pioneers have dominated the glass this season as they are the top rebounding team getting 7.7 (42.1-34.4) more rebounds than the opposition.
Smith has stuffed the stat sheet all season long. He leads the Pioneers in scoring (18.8 points per game which is fourth in the MEC, is fourth in 3-point percentage (38 percent,) seventh in field goal percentage (49.1 percent.) He is also second in the MEC with 3.03 triples per contest. Word scores 15.2 points per game, is ninth in the MEC in field goal percentage (47.7 percent,) grabs 7.2 rebounds per game which is seventh in the MEC and dishes out 5.2 assists per game which is fifth in the MEC. Yow (14.2 points per game) and Jones (10.6 points per game) round out the double digit scorers. Harrison Eghan leads GSU corralling an MEC sixth best 7.4 rebounds per game.
In the meeting with NDC back in November Smith scored 16, Yow had 15, Jay Scott scored 13, Word tallied 11 and Jones netted 10.
"We just have to continue playing at the high level we've been playing at lately, sophomore guard Gbolahan Adio mentioned. "Continuing to rebound and create good shots as a team."
Other MEC Games Saturday:
Frostburg State @ West Virginia State
West Liberty @ West Virginia Wesleyan
Fairmont State @ Charleston
Wheeling @ Davis & Elkins
Alderson Broaddus @ Concord
MEC Standings:
West Liberty 11-2 (16-3)
Charleston 11-2 (14-5)
Fairmont State 10-3 (15-4)
West Virginia State 9-4 (15-4)
Glenville State 8-5 (12-7)
NDC 8-5 (11-7)
Concord 7-6 (10-8)
Davis & Elkins 4-9 (10-9)
Alderson Broaddus 4-9 (6-12)
Wheeling 3-10 (5-14)
West Virginia Wesleyan 2-11 (2-15)
Frostburg State 1-12 (5-14)
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