SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio -- Senior forward #Dan Jones# scored 23 points, and a hustling Falcon defense held one of the American Mideast Conference's (AMC) most potent attacks in check, as Notre Dame upset No. 22 Daemen (N.Y), 82-73, on Saturday.  (Box)

Notre Dame (16-8, 5-3) held the Wildcats to a 35.4 percent (23-for-65) mark from the field and handed DC just their second loss in seven contests. NDC countered with a blistering 59.5 percent (25-for-42) afternoon from the field. The win for the Blue & White snapped a three-game losing streak, and it served as a reprisal for a 21-point loss at the hands of the Wildcats (17-6, 5-3) earlier this season (85-64, Dec. 20).

"Our guys really battled," said NDC head coach #Kevin Bille#.  " We got a maximum defensive effort from all the guys today.  And our guards and Karim (McFarlane) made big basket when we needed them."

With their win over the 22nd-ranked Wildcats, Notre Dame runs their record over ranked opponents this season to 2-0. NDC defeated Grace (Ind.), 69-68, on Dec. 12.  Grace was ranked No. 25 when the Falcons defeated them in Winona Lake, Ind., on the Lancers' home floor.  (Grace is currently ranked No. 23 in the nation.)

As Saturday's game got underway, a quick trey by freshman guard #Nick McCartney# and a layup by Dan Jones gave NDC a 5-0 lead. The Falcons extended that lead to 12 (16-4) by the 12-minute mark, with Jones scoring 10 of their first 16 points.

Notre Dame and Daemen then traded baskets for the remainder of the first frame, and the Falcons took a 36-24 lead into their locker room at the half. Jones paced NDC with 12 points and six rebounds in an opening half where the Falcons shot 53.8 percent (14-for-26) while the Wildcats misfired to the tune of a 22.6 percent (7-for-31) mark. Daemen, one of the top 3-point shooting teams in the nation, hit just one trey in 12 first-half attempts.

Jones again paced the Falcons early on in the second, as NDC built a 42-24 lead by the 18-minute mark. Senior forward Pete Loney, the AMC's top 3-point threat, then fueled an 18-7 Daemen run. That cut the Notre Dame lead to 49-42 by the 11:48-mark. A quick six on baskets by #Karim McFarlane#, #Steve Savel#, and then McFarlane again pushed the lead to 13 (55-42) by the midpoint of the half.

Both squads played evenly over the next five minutes of game play. Starting at 5:47, the Wildcats went on a 14-5 run to cut the Falcon advantage back down to six (67-61). By the two-minute mark, Notre Dame was back up by 10, 71-61. The Falcons took care of the basketball and hit free throws in the final 120 seconds to close out the upset win.

The Falcons attempted just 16 field goals in the second half, making 11 (68.8 percent). In the final 20 minutes, NDC did most of their damage from the charity stripe, going 22-of-26 (84.6 percent). For the game, Notre Dame was 28-of-35 from the line (80.0 percent).

The Wildcats, who came into the game ranked second in AMC 3-point accuracy, shot just 25.9 percent (7-for-27) from beyond the arc. Pete Loney hit six of those threes. He finished with a team-high 20 points. Junior forward David Johnson added 19 points; junior guard Ajay Rutledge had 18.

For the Falcons, Jones' 23 points were backed up by Nick McCartney's 18. Both guards were also a key in the NDC perimeter defense that held the Wildcats in check. They also combined to go 16-of-18 from the free throw line and each contributed four assists. Jones had eight rebounds to lead the team; NDC out-rebounded Daemen for the game, 33-32. The Wildcats won the turnover battle, 18-11.

Pivot man Karim McFarlane added 12 points for the Falcons on 5-of-6 shooting.

Notre Dame's season will continue on Thursday, Feb. 5, when they host Wilberforce. The opening tip in the Murphy Gymnasium tilt is slated for 8 p.m.


NOTES FROM THE NEST…

CAGING THE CATS:  The offense that NDC stifled Saturday afternoon came into the game averaging 81.4 points per contest. That figure ranks second in the AMC and 23rd in the nation. In their previous 23 games, the Wildcats had been held under 75 points just five times. … NDC's defense came into the game yielding 66.6 points per game (fourth, AMC). … With their win Saturday, NDC is now 4-12 all-time against Daemen and 4-2 in their last six against the Wildcats.

'23' HITS NUMBER:  No. 23 Dan Jones' 23 points Saturday mark his third-highest total this season. The Niles, Ohio, native scored a career-high 27 points at St. Vincent (Pa.) on Dec. 1. … For the season, Jones ranks second on the NDC squad in scoring, at 13.3 points per game. He has scored in double figures in each of Notre Dame's last six games.

HOME IMPROVEMENT:  With Saturday's victory on College Road, Notre Dame runs their home record this season to 10-3. The Blue & White are now 37-14 (.725) over their last 51 games at home. … In breaking their three-game losing streak, NDC avoided losing four straight games for the first time since the 2005-06 season.

HUSTLE STATS:  The Falcons have now out-rebounded their opponent in eight of their last nine games. For the season, the Falcons are now plus-4.3 in average rebounding margin (sixth, AMC). … Notre Dame has lost the turnover battle in four straight games in six of their last seven. For the season, the Falcons are averaging 14.3 turnovers per game, while forcing 13.8.