The Notre Dame College Falcons (6-1 3-0 MEC) will return home Sunday to take on the West Liberty Hilltoppers (5-1 3-0 MEC) in a key MEC matchup at Murphy Gym. Tip time is set for 4 PM. As always you can catch the action on NotreDameFalcons.com
NDC Forward Angelo Cugini set up the matchup:
"We will play together and play hard. We have been preparing for the last couple days for everything that West Lib is going to throw at us and we are ready."
Isaiah Sanders talked about NDC's mindset going in:
" We know that when we play the right way no one can beat us. The key to Sunday's game is playing Notre Dame College basketball the best we know how on both ends of the floor- making the right decisions- and- really just playing together."
NDC is coming off a 83-72 win last time out. The win was the first ever for the Falcons at Wheeling Jesuit. Will Vorhees eclipsed the 2,000 point mark for his career in the contest as well. Larenz Thurman scored 26 points in the victory- Sanders and Vorhees had 15 each- while Parks added 12. NDC shot 43 percent from the field- 27 percent (6-22) from the 3-point line- and- 88 percent (29-33) from the free throw line. The Falcons had eight assists and nine turnovers. NDC won the rebounding battle 42-37.
Vorhees leads the season box score putting up 22.7 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. Thurman has been rock solid since returning and is scoring 20 a night. Sanders is netting 15.6 per game- while Parks is putting up 13.4 a night. Cugini is scoring 11 a game- and- a team leading 12 rebounds per contest. The Falcons average 82 points a game- while they give up 74.3 per contest. NDC is out rebounding the opponent by 1.4 rebounds a contest (41.3- 39.9.)
Bruce Hodges put the matchup in context:
"I am a big believer in they get ready the same way we do. They put on one shoe at a time. Yes they are nationally ranked, but to me that only makes the game funnier and better to play in. We know we have to come out ready to play from the warmups. We have been preparing greatly for this and like I always say we want to win the day. Go 1-0 on that day. To do that we must execute offensively and defensively. Big time players step up in big time games."
Vorhees talked about the preparation for this one, particularly against the West Lib full court press:
" We have been prepared well by our coaches, and as players we are more than focused on the task at hand. We are entering this game with confidence, we understand and recognize the press they will throw at us but we know exactly what we have to do to counter it. If we execute we like our chances."
Coach Tim Koenig gave his thoughts on the opportunity to play a high quality opponent:
" Sunday is a great opportunity for us. They are a very good team. However, if we execute and play our brand of basketball I like our chances."
#10 West Liberty was a 97-73 winner over Urbana last time out. Dalton Bolon led the Hilltoppers with 24 points as he knocked down four 3-pointer's- Will Yoakum had 14- and- Yaheel Hill scored 13. West Lib shot 55 percent from the field- 50 percent (9-18) from the 3-point line- and- 76 percent (16-21) from the free throw line. They had seven assists and 15 turnovers in the contest. Bolon leads West Liberty in scoring at 22.5 points per game- while Yoakum and Eric Meininger each average 14.5 points per contest. As a team the Hilltoppers average 108.8 points per game- while they give up 89.7 per night. West Lib shoots 46 percent from the 3-point line- and- is averaging nearly 10 rebounds more a game than the opposition (41.8-32.)
MEC Scores Saturday:
Concord 98 West Virginia State 92
Glenville State 106 Shepherd 101
Charleston 81 Virginia Wise 73
Urbana 77 Wheeling Jesuit 73
Fairmont State 65 West Virginia Wesleyan 52
MEC Standings:
Fairmont State 4-0 (6-2)
NDC 3-0 (6-1)
West Liberty 3-0 (5-1)
Concord 3-1 (5-2)
Glenville State 2-2 (5-2)
Shepherd 2-2 (5-2)
Virginia Wise 2-2 (4-4)
Charleston 1-3 (5-3)
West Virginia Wesleyan 1-3 (3-4)
Urbana 1-3 (2-5)
West Virginia State 1-3 (2-5)
Wheeling Jesuit 0-4 (0-7)
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