CANTON, Ohio – Notre Dame defeated Malone, 68-56, in Canton Saturday in what was the season opener for both teams. The Falcons held the Pioneers to a 32.8 percent (20-for-61) mark from the field while getting to the line 30 times on the other end of the court in starting the season off with a victory.
Freshman guard Nick McCartney (Newton Falls, Ohio) scored a team-high 14 points in a solid collegiate debut to pace Notre Dame (1-0). Junior center Karim McFarlane (Portmore, Jamaica) added 11 points and a game-high 11 boards on a night where the Falcons grabbed a 30-22 lead by halftime and went on to win by a dozen.
The game between American Mideast Conference (AMC) foes was played as a non-conference tilt in the AMC standings. The two teams will meet again for their conference match-up in South Euclid on Jan. 13.
The early minutes of the game were played evenly, but when Malone junior guard Brian Guerin (Hudson, Ohio) nailed a 3-pointer at 11:06, the Pioneers (0-1) led by a score of 16-10.
Fueled by a couple quick lay-ups by sophomore forward Paul Spencer (Mandeville, Jamaica), the Blue & White answered with a 20-4 run over the next 10 minutes of play. Six different Falcons scored during that 10-minute stretch, and NDC carried a 30-22 lead into their locker room at halftime.
McFarlane, on the strength of 6-of-6 shooting from the line, scored eight first-half points to lead the Falcons. As a team, NDC got to the line 15 times in the first, a number they would reprise in the second half. They made 11 free throws in the first and would make just seven in the second. From the field, NDC shot 39.1 percent (9-for-23) in the opening half.
In the second stanza, Notre Dame built their lead to double digits by the 19-minute mark on a jumper by McFarlane. They would essentially hold that double-digit lead for most of the half, building it up to a 21-point advantage by 3:54. The Falcons would not score in the final 3:54, and the home five went out on a 9-0 run to finish off the game at 68-56.
The guard play of Nick McCartney and sophomore Eric Maag (Columbus Grove, Ohio) paced Notre Dame in the second. McCartney hit a pair of treys and three foul shots to score nine in the period. Maag drilled three from beyond the arc in amassing 11 second-half points.
In the second half, NDC shot 44.4 percent (12-for-27). Seven of those 12 field goals were of the 3-point variety. The Falcons finished the game 8-of-24 (33.3 percent) from 3-point range.
McCartney's 14 points led the way for the Falcon offense. Maag followed with 13; McFarlane added 11. Freshman guard-forward Eric Dummermuth (Dover, Ohio) added nine points; he also hauled down seven rebounds (three offensive) in his first collegiate action. Junior transfer Al Miller (Fort Pierce, Fla.) scored seven points in 23 minutes off the NDC bench.
McFarlane's double-double (points-rebounds) marked the 17th of his career. The 6-foot-7 Portmore, Jamaica, native had 12 such games last season, when he was a First Team All-AMC North selection.
For the game, Malone out-rebounded Notre Dame, 41-39. The host Pioneers committed 12 turnovers, to the falcons' 11. McCartney chipped in for a game-high five assists. The Ursuline High School product committed just one turnover in 32 minutes of action.
Brian Guerin led the Malone effort; he scored 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting (4-of-6 from 3-point range).
With the win at Malone, the Falcons are now 2-5 all-time against the Pioneers. In eight seasons since their 2001 debut, NDC is now an even 4-4 in season openers and 2-2 in road openers.
Notre Dame's second game will be next week, when the Falcons host Rochester (Mich.) on Thursday, Nov. 13. That contest will be game-one of the NDC Tip-Off Tournament, which will feature three games over three days (Thursday-Saturday). Tip off in the Falcons-Warriors game on Thursday is slated for 7 p.m.
NEWS FROM THE NEST…
HOME MALONE: With their home court loss Saturday, Malone starts the season off 0-1 in Canton, and with the MU teams of recent vintage, that's a rarity. The Pioneers went 9-5 at home last season (2007-08) and are 20-10 over their last 30 games on their home hardwood. MU is now 2-1 all-time in home games against NDC. ... The Pioneers went 21-10 a year ago and went a combined 40-24 over the last two seasons.
FLEDGLING FALCONS: Saturday's contest featured four freshmen (Phil Biggs, Dummermuth, McCartney, Steve Savel) donning the Blue & White for the first time. Kevin Bille's Falcon roster features five freshmen, overall, three of whom earned All-Ohio status in high school a year ago (2007-08). The four freshmen who played Saturday logged a combined 85 minutes of game action. They combined to score 27 points, collect 17 boards, and garner six assists.
FREE SPACE: Notre Dame's 30 free throw attempts Saturday are their most in a game since Feb. 15, 2007, when NDC got to the line 34 times in a 92-86 win over Geneva (Pa.). Karim McFarlane was the most frequent visitor to the line Saturday, with a 7-for-8 night. ... Neither squad shot the ball particularly well from the stripe in their season opener. Notre Dame shot 60.0 percent (18-for-30); Malone shot 50.0 percent (8-for-16). ... Last season, NDC got to the line 17.7 times per game, with a 71.3 percent (365-for-512) success rate.
