SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio – A solid defensive effort and a cold-shooting night by their opponents led to a 66-46 victory on College Road Tuesday night, as Notre Dame routed Roberts Wesleyan (N.Y.). The win continues the Falcons' early-season roll; NDC has now won a program-best six straight games to start the season.
Junior center Karim McFarlane (Portmore, Jamaica) scored 18 points to lead all Falcon scorers on a night when Roberts Wesleyan (3-2) would shoot just 30.0 percent (18-for-60) from the field and 40.0 percent (6-for-15).
The two sides played evenly in the opening minutes of the game. By the 10-minute mark, the game was tied, 14-14. The Falcons then went on a 5-0 run to take a 19-14 advantage on the Murphy Gymnasium scoreboard.
That, however, turned out to be the offensive highlight of the first half for NDC. The Falcons struggled with their shot selection and finished the half with a 36.7 percent (11-for-30) mark from the field. The Raiders also struggled from the floor in the first, connecting on just 31.3 percent of their 32 attempts in a defensive 20 minutes.
With neither offense finding a rhythm, NDC took a 24-22 lead into halftime.
In the second stanza, the Falcons hit five of their first eight shots from the floor to open up a 36-24 lead. Solid transition play by senior forward Dan Jones (Niles, Ohio) and freshman guard Steve Savel (Andover, Ohio) fueled a 15-4 run to give Notre Dame a 39-26 lead by 13:51. Jones finished the game with 14 points, six rebounds, five assists and four steals, while Savel added nine points and two steals.
Jones and Savel spearheaded a Falcon defense that held the Raiders to three field goals in their first 19 second-half attempts. NDC would force nine second-half turnovers and 15 for the game.
When Karim McFarlane hit two tosses from the charity stripe at 6:46, Notre Dame took a commanding 50-32 lead. The Falcons maintained that large lead through the waning minutes against a Raider squad that struggled to find their shooting touch.
By the time the clock ran down, the Blue & White had held an opponent to just 46 points in a 40-minute contest. That's their best defensive effort in the history of the program.
Freshman forward Eric Dummermuth (Dover, Ohio) notched a double-double for the Falcons – he scored 11 and grabbed 10 rebounds. For the game Notre Dame shot 45.3 percent (24-for-53) from the field and 70.0 percent (14-for-20) from the line.
Senior forward Jemel Williams (Rochester, N.Y.) led the Raiders – he had 13 points and 10 rebounds. The loss for Roberts snapped a three-game winning streak.
With the win, Notre Dame is now 3-0 at home this season. The Falcons will not play again at home until Dec. 17.
The Falcons' next game will be Monday, Dec. 1, when the team travels to Latrobe, Pa., to take on St. Vincent. Game time against the Bearcats is scheduled for 7 p.m. The match-up figures to put NDC's win streak to the test – the Falcons are 1-9 all-time against St. Vincent.
NEWS FROM THE NEST…
HALF BAD: Tuesday's first half scoring (24 points) was Notre Dame's lowest since the Falcons were held to 21 points in the opening frame against Daemen (N.Y.) on Feb. 9, 2008. … This season NDC is outscoring foes, 39.0 to 27.8, in the first half of games. The Falcons are holding opponents to a 34.8% (55-for-158) mark from the field in the opening 20 minutes of their games.
MURPH MOMENTUM: With their home win over RWC, Notre Dame is now 29-12 in their last 41 games at Murphy Gymnasium. The Falcons went 10-8 on their home hardwood a year ago.
A-M-SEE YOU LATER: Although both Roberts and NDC are American Mideast Conference (AMC) foes, Tuesday's game counts as a non-conference affair in the AMC standings. The Falcons and Raiders will meet again on Jan. 3 for their one conference tilt this season.
