WEST MIFFLIN, Pa. -- A 16-point lead slipped through Notre Dame's fingers on the road at Point Park (Pa.) Saturday, as the Falcons lost their second straight game Saturday. The Pioneers (10-10, 2-4) prevailed by a final of 77-73.  (Box)

The Pioneers' win snapped a two-game losing streak and a spell where they had lost four of five. PPU ran their home record this season to 4-2; Saturday's tilt in West Mifflin marked the Pioneers' first home game since Dec. 13.

Junior center #Karim McFarlane# scored 21 points to lead NDC in the loss.

“I can't sugarcoat this,” said NDC head coach #Kevin Bille#. “Our guys we're challenged at two or three points throughout this game, and I'm pretty disappointed in the way they responded.”

Notre Dame (15-7, 4-2) scored the first four points of the game, with freshman forward #Eric Dummermuth# scoring off the opening tip and then again a minute later. Dummermuth scored a quick eight points to spur the Falcons to a 17-7 lead by the 12-minute mark.

After leading 19-11 at the 10-minute mark, Notre Dame went on an 11-3 run to take a 30-14 lead by 5:20. Dummermuth scored his 15th and 16th points of the opening half at 1:45, to put NDC up, 35-21. But Point Park answered, going on a 7-2 run to close out the first period. Notre Dame led by nine (37-28) at the break.

Point Park would come back in the second. In the first 12 minutes of the half, the Pioneers outscored the Falcons, 29-21, to cut the NDC lead to one (58-57). A trey by sophomore guard Josh Trocchio at 6:20 tied the score at 60-60, and a minute later the Pioneers took their first lead of the game when sophomore guard Anton Batyatin scored a bucket to put PPU up, 62-60. Those baskets started what would be a 9-3 run for Point Park. That put the Pioneers up, 66-61, by the three-minute mark.

The Falcons got as close as one, at 71-70, on a #Nick McCartney# trey with 35 seconds remaining. But the Pioneers hit a slew of key free throws late, with NDC forced to foul after coughing up the lead. They went 12-of-17 from the line in the second half alone, and from the field the Pioneers hit a blistering 63.0 percent (17-for-27) over the game's final 20 minutes.

For the game, NDC shot 43.3 percent (26-for-60). The Falcons out-rebounded the Pioneers, 40-34, with senior forward #Dan Jones# pulling down a career-high 12 boards to lead the team. Jones also had 10 points. The Falcons have now out-rebounded their opponents in six of their last seven games.

Dummermuth was held to just two points in the second half; he finished with 18 on a lackluster 6-of-18 shooting night. McCartney scored 13; both he and Jones committed five turnovers, however. The Falcons finished the game with 16 turnovers, to Point Park's 11.

The Falcons had come into Saturday's tilt tied for third place in the AMC, a game-and-a-half behind 6-0 Cedarville. Their two losses this week mark their first back-to-back miscues since mid-December, when the team lost three straight from Dec. 13 to Dec. 20. The Blue & White are now 5-4 on the road this season.

McFarlane scored his 21 on 10-of-13 shooting. He has now scored 62 points over the Falcons' last three games.

Point Park was led by Tony Townsend, who posted a double-double with 19 points and 10 boards.  The PPU bench outscored NDC's, 33-11.

Notre Dame's season will continue next weekend when the Falcons travel to upstate New York for a back-to-back. NDC will take on Houghton Friday (Jan. 30) at 8 p.m. They'll then face No. 17 Daemen Saturday at 4 p.m.


NOTES FROM THE NEST…

IRON MAN:  Eric Dummermuth has started all of NDC's first 22 games this season. The freshman workhorse has logged a team-high 730 minutes for the Falcons. He's played 35-plus minutes in 13 games this season including each of the last five games.

THREEMO:  Karim McFarlane notched a career first in the waning moments of Saturday's loss. With the NDC perimeter players unable to get open for a 3-point attempt, the Falcons' 6-foot-7 pivot man stepped out past the arc and knocked one down himself. The 3-point basket marked the first of McFarlane's career; in 81 career games prior to Saturday, McFarlane had been 0-for-1 from beyond the arc.

PARKING TICKET:   With their loss at Point Park, NDC is now 3-11 all-time against the Pioneers. The Falcons' record in West Mifflin falls to 1-7 in eight meetings. … Notre Dame is 1-3 over their last four road games, dating back to Dec. 20.