ROCHESTER, N.Y. – An 18-6 run in overtime propelled Notre Dame to an 80-68 victory at Roberts Wesleyan (N.Y.) Saturday night. Freshman guard #Nick McCartney# hit seven treys in the game, including two in overtime, to propel the Falcons to a win in what was their American Mideast Conference (AMC) opener this season. (Box)

McCartney finished with a personal season-high 22 points, and freshman forward #Eric Dummermuth# posted his fifth consecutive double-double (21 points, 14 rebounds) in the win for Notre Dame (11-5, 1-0).  Those two performances highlighted a second-half, come-from-behind win for the Falcons, who trailed by 15 late in the game.

"This was a big road win for us," said Notre Dame head coach Kevin Bille.  "Nick was outstanding, and the guys really came together and were tough at the end."

The victory for the Falcons is their third in four games, and it runs their road record this season to 5-2. It comes at the expense of a Roberts Wesleyan (8-3, 0-1) team which had won five straight games. The win is NDC's sixth straight in the series.

McCartney led off Saturday's contest in Rochester with a 3-pointer on NDC's first possession. He would hit three from long range as Notre Dame took an early 12-7 lead. Roberts, however, answered with a 10-0 run to take a 17-12 lead by the 11:46-mark.

The Falcons fought back to take the lead at 7:38 on a jumper by sophomore guard #Eric Maag#. NDC went cold at the end of the period, however, missing five of their final six shot attempts to trail the Raiders, 30-29, at the half.

In the second half, the misses for NDC continued, and Roberts Wesleyan raced to a 15-point lead (56-41) by the midpoint of the half. At one point during that stretch the Falcons missed seven of eight attempts from the floor. Then, starting at 8:41, the Blue & White made a move.

Notre Dame went on a five-minute, 16-2 run to pull within one, 58-57, at 3:12. Eric Dummermuth scored six points and grabbed four boards during the outburst, and Maag and McCartney each hit big treys to keep the comeback alive.

McCartney hit a three-ball at 2:50 to tie the game, 60-60. The Dummermuth connected on a jumper at 0:56 to give NDC a 62-60 lead. The Raiders then tied the score, 62-62, on a basket by Jemel Williams at 0:38. That would close out the scoring in regulation.

In the overtime session, the Falcons were nearly perfect shooting the ball. Notre Dame went 5-of-6 from the floor, 2-of-2 from beyond the arc, and 6-of-6 from the free throw line. Five Falcon players scored in the five-minute frame, as NDC trounced the Raiders, 18-6, to win the game by 12.

For the 45-minute game, Notre Dame wound up shooting an uneven 44.1 percent (26-for-59). The Falcons held RWC to a 38.2 percent mark (26-for-68). The Falcons out-rebounded the Raiders, 41-36. In the turnover department, Notre Dame committed 18, while Roberts had 15; the falcons, however, scored 22 points off turnovers, compared to RWC's nine.

McCartney finished the game with an NDC season-best seven 3-pointers on nine attempts. Dummermuth was 6-of-11 from the floor and 8-of-12 from the charity stripe. The free throw stats were heavily in NDC's favor – the Falcons scored 18 at the line, to the Raiders' six.

Junior center #Karim McFarlane# added 12 points and eight rebounds. Senior forward #Dan Jones# was a key performer at the free throw line; he hit on 7-of-8 from the stripe and finished with 11 points.

For RWC, Jemel Williams was their top performer – he scored 20 and blocked four shots. Mark Saladzius added 15 points and five rebounds. The Raiders had been on a roll – they had won five straight and were 4-1 at home and they came into the game as the AMC's No. 2 defense, allowing just 58.6 points per contest.

Despite that start, with Saturday's tilt being the opening of league play for both teams, the Raiders are now 0-1 where it counts the most. And the Falcons' 15-point come-from-behind, overtime win has them perched at 1-0 in the conference.

Notre Dame's AMC schedule will include 13 games, one against each AMC foe, from Saturday's tilt in Rochester through Feb. 21.

The Falcons' next game will be their last regular season non-conference game, at home Wednesday (Jan. 7) against Ohio State-Mansfield. Tip-off between NDC and the Mavericks is slated for 7 p.m.


NOTES FROM THE NEST...

SEEMS LIKE OLD TIMES:  Nick McCartney's barrage of 3-pointers came at a good time for Notre Dame.  The freshman point guard went 7-for-9, and the Falcons as a team went 10-for-17 (58.8 percent).  In NDC's seven prior games, the team had gone a pedestrian 26-for-100 (26.0 percent) from beyond the arc. ... McCartney's seven treys are the most by a Falcon player since Jerome Pierce poured in eight nearly a year ago against the same team (Jan. 16, 2008, vs. RWC). ... For the season, McCartney has been Notre Dame's top outside threat.  The Newton Falls native and former Ursuline High School standout is shooting 43.9 percent (29-for-66) from 3-point range.

ROAD WARRIORS:  The Falcons are now 5-2 on the road this season.  One reason for the Falcons' success away from home has been their ability to get to the free throw line.  In seven road contests, Notre Dame has outscored their hosts, 112-61, at the line. ... McCartney is shooting 55.9 percent (19-for-34) from beyond the arc in those road tests. ... In their last four wins over Roberts, NDC has allowed an average of just 57.0 points per game. ... The Falcons have now allowed fewer than 70 points in eight games this season.

NICE SHOOTIN':   In the final 8:53 of Saturday's game (3:53 of regulation plus overtime), the Falcons were 9-of-11 from the field, 5-of-6 from 3-point range, and 6-of-6 from the foul line.