SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio -- Notre Dame will flip the calendar into 2010 on a down note, having lost three in a row, after Wednesday's 78-70 overtime loss at Beloit (Wisc.). (Box)

Beloit outscored the Falcons, 17-9, in overtime after the two teams battled to a 61-61 tie in regulation. In the extra stanza, the Buccaneers went 11-of-12 from the free-throw line to ice the home-court victory.

Freshman guard #Tracy Payne# led NDC, with a career-high 21 points in the contest. The Danville, Ohio, native hit five treys in the loss to the host Buccaneers, who are now 3-4 on the season. With the loss, Notre Dame (6-5) has now lost four of five since starting the season by winning five of its first six games.

In the first half, Notre Dame fell behind, 14-11, before going on a 10-0 run to lay claim to a 21-14 lead by the 9:48-mark. Payne scored eight points in that spurt, which was followed by a 12-0 run for Beloit. The Buccaneers would take a 31-28 lead into halftime.

In the second frame, Beloit came out strong and opened up a 12-point lead (45-33) by the 13:55-mark. A 3-pointer by #Alex Dackin# then jumpstarted a 12-0 run for the Falcons, and the two teams found themselves tied, 45-45, by the midpoint of the second half. For the game, Notre Dame hit a season-high 10 three-balls.

The Falcons and Buccaneers played evenly for the balance of regulation, sending the game into overtime. #Kealy McNally# hit a three to give NDC a 64-61 lead at the outset of overtime, but Beloit then undid the Blue & White on a pair of layups and a slew of foul shots, outscoring NDC, 9-2, in one stretch. The Buccaneers closed out the win, their third in in their last four, by making 10 consecutive free throws.

For the game, Beloit went 26-of-35 (74.3 percent) from the charity stripe. The Buccaneers connected on 47.2 percent (25-for-53) from the field. They were led by junior Amanda Moore, who had 20 points and 13 rebounds.

Notre Dame shot 38.8 percent (24-for-67) from the floor and 10-for-29 from beyond the arc. Payne's 21 points were backed up by #Chelsea Andorka# scoring 13 and #Yvette Hunter# tallying 10. #Paris Pugliese# led the team in rebounding; she had eight boards.

NDC will hit the road again when they travel to Pittsburgh for their next contest on Tuesday, Jan. 5. The Falcons will take on the Celtics of Carlow University. Tip-off in the American Mideast Conference tilt is scheduled for 7 p.m.


NOTES FROM THE NEST …

MEET THE BUCCANEERS: Beloit is an NCAA-III institution, with 18 athletic teams (nine men's, nine women's). The Buccaneers compete in the 10-member Midwest Conference. The College has an enrollment of 1,250 and was founded in 1846 when Wisconsin was still just a territory. … Tuesday's meeting at Flood Arena marked the first contest between the Falcons and Buccaneers.

WELL-RESTED: Both teams entered Wednesday's contest after long layoffs. The game marked Notre Dame's first since Dec. 21, when Lake Erie handed them a 77-65 loss in Painesville, Ohio. The Buccaneers had been off since Dec. 19.

WAITING FOR A THAW: With their 36-percent shooting night in Beloit on Wednesday, NDC is now shooting just 31.0 percent (92-for-297) over the last four games. … The game against the Buccaneers marked Notre Dame's second overtime contest of the season; the Falcons are 1-1 in those two games.