NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. -- Defense, rebounding and #Eric Dummermuth# - that's the trio of ingredients Notre Dame has used almost exclusively in what is now a 5-0 start to the season after the Falcons defeated Westminster, 91-60, on Saturday. (Box)

NDC held the host Titans (0-3) to a 35.5 percent (22-for-62) mark from the floor, the Falcons (5-0) doubled up Westminster in rebounds, 57-28, and Dummermuth scored 27 points on 11-of-14 shooting. That combination led to victory once again; NDC has now matched their best five-game stat to a season by going 5-0 (last year's team went 6-0 to start the season). Saturday's win came in the finale of the Buzz Ridl Classic, hosted by Westminster College.

Dummermuth garnered his 27 points on 11-of-14 shooting from the floor and a 5-of-6 afternoon at the line. Nine of his rebounds came on the offensive glass; NDC had 27 offensive rebounds as a team. #Curtis McClure# and #Al Miller# each added 14 points, as Notre Dame hit the 90-point mark for the second straight game and the third time this season. The Blue & White shot 46.1 percent (35-for-76) from the field, and the Falcons continued a trend at the line, going 18-of-24 in free throws. NDC has now attempted 20 or more free throws in four straight games.

The Falcons jumped out to an 11-point lead (17-6) by the 13:35 mark, with Dummermuth, McClure and Miller on the attack. At the mid-point of the half, the Titans cut the Notre Dame lead to seven (22-15), but NDC closed out the half with a 22-6 run to take a 44-21 lead into halftime. Westminster was just 8-for-28 (28.6 percent) from the floor in the first.

The second half was more of the same, with NDC eventually building their lead to 30 and then 40 points before winning by the final margin of 31 (91-60). Dummermuth tallied 15 points of 6-of-7 shooting in the second stanza, while McClure added 10 points. Nine Falcon players scored in the second half, as Notre Dame won by 20 or more points for the third time in five games.

#Nick McCartney# finished the game with nine points and four rebounds. #Danny Wright# added seven points off the bench. Ron Martino led the Titans with a 14-point effort.

The Falcons' plus-29 margin in rebounds marks the team's best over the last two seasons. NDC also won the turnover battle in Saturday's game, forcing 15 while tying a season-low with just 10 of their own. McCartney and Miller were each credited with three steals.

Notre Dame will look to tie their best start to a season next Saturday (No. 28), when they host Miami-Hamilton in a 4 p.m. tilt at Murphy Gymnasium. That game will mark the second this season between the Falcons and Harriers; NDC ripped MU-H, 105-49, in the season opener on Nov. 13.