SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio -- Sophomore center #Yvette Hunter# had 22 points and 13 rebounds, and the Falcons ended a three-game home losing streak, as Notre Dame defeated Wilberforce, 79-64, on Wednesday.   (Box)

Hot second-half shooting and solid performances from senior forward #Erika Falcone#, Hunter, and freshman guard #Taryn Wicks# paved the way for NDC en route to the home court win.

The victory for Notre Dame (17-10, 7-5) keeps them above .500 in American Mideast Conference play. It ends a three-game spell for the Falcons, and it continues what is now a four-game slide for Wilberforce (6-18, 1-9). The Lady Bulldogs have now lost 14 of their last 15.

The Lady Bulldogs took an early 10-6 lead by the 14-minute mark, when junior guard Dai'Tiara Brown scored on a layup. The Falcons answered when senior guard #Ashley Carney# keyed a 6-0 run. By the 10-minute mark, Wilberforce had reclaimed the lead, 16-14. In a three-minute stretch, the Lady Bulldogs went on a 12-1 run.

Notre Dame answered with a dominant 15-2 run to take a 30-24 lead by the four-minute mark. The NDC frontcourt of Erika Falcone and Yvette Hunter led the charge. They combined for 18 first-half points, and the Falcons took a 34-28 lead into their Murphy Gymnasium locker room at halftime. Wilberforce scored just four points over the final seven minutes of the opening frame. Freshman guard Deidra Brown scored 12 first-half points to lead the Lady Bulldogs.

In the second half Notre Dame and Wilberforce traded baskets for several minutes. By the 15-minute mark, NDC still led by six points. The Falcons, however, got their offense in gear and sped to a 56-41 lead by the 11:30-mark. NDC then sputtered, yielding eight straight points to the Lady Bulldogs cut their lead to 56-49 by the midpoint of the half.

The Blue & White recovered as the half wore on. And their red-hot shooting kept Wilberforce from putting together a sustained run – the Falcons would shoot 70.8 percent (17-for-24) in the second half.

The Falcons hit 11 of their first 17 attempts from the floor in the second, eventually running their lead back to double digits by the eight-minute mark. Falcone and Hunter again fueled the charge, continuing to hit on inside looks opened up by good perimeter passing by the Falcon backcourt. Hunter scored 12 second-half points, and Falcone added six. Taryn Wicks poured in 13 second-half points and a career-high16 for the game. The Lady Bulldogs got as close as eight points down the stretch, but NDC held on to claim the 15-point victory.

For the game, Notre Dame shot 48.3 percent (29-for-60) from the field. Wilberforce shot 37.7 percent (26-for-69). The Falcons held a sizeable edge on the boards, out-rebounding the Lady Bulldogs, 47-35.

The Falcons' trio of top scorers were dialed in on Wednesday. Hunter scored her 22 points on a 10-of-15 night from the floor. Falcone went 6-of-7, and Wicks went 5-of-7. The balance of the NDC team was just eight of 31.

Junior forward Tamarra Moss paced Wilberforce with 17 points and a game-high 15 rebounds. Deidra Brown added 19 points. DaiTiara Brown scored 14 and added six boards, three assists and three steals.

NDC's losing streak was their longest at home since December of 2002, and their victory Wednesday came on the heels of their worst home loss since the same year (Jan. 22, 2002). The Falcons were routed, 90-63, in their previous game, at home against Cedarville. Wednesday's Notre Dame-Wilberforce game marked the Falcons' final regular season game at home in the 2008-09 season. The win runs their home mark this season to 7-3.

The game, a rescheduled date from a Feb. 5 postponement, marked the first meeting between the two programs since Feb. 10, 2001.

Although their home season is over, NDC has three regular season games remaining. All three are on the road and will come against top-flight competition. The Falcons' remaining foes (Walsh, Shawnee State, Rio Grande) have a combined record of 67-18, and that group includes Shawnee State, the No. 2 team in the nation.

The Falcons will begin that stretch on Saturday (Feb. 14) with the Walsh game. Tip-off in North Canton is slated for 2 p.m.


NOTES FROM THE NEST…

MILESTONE UNTURNED: Ashley Carney came into Wednesday's game needing 17 points to pass Joni DePiore (1993-97) and move into third place on the Falcons' all-time scoring list. Carney's ascent in the NDC record books was put on hold at 8:20 in the first half when she went down with an ankle injury. She finished the game with six points and three assists. The Solon, Ohio, native now sits 10 points behind DePiore at 1,375 career points. … Carney is also the program's all-time leader in assists (426), and she ranks second in career steals at NDC, with 217.

BENCH BUNCH: NDC's bench outscored Wilberforce, 40-12. The bench crew was led by Wicks (16 points), Falcone (14), and sophomore guard #Brittany Terry# (six). The Falcon bench also contributed 13 rebounds and an impressive 14 assists (Wicks had a game-high six assists; Terry added five).

HUNTER BAGS A DOUBLE: Yvette Hunter's double-double Wednesday was her fifth of the season. The 5-foot-10 pivot came into the game averaging 13.4 points and 5.9 boards per contest. Hunter also came into the game with the nation's top mark in field goal accuracy (64.9 percent, 150-for-231). … With her 22 points against WU, Hunter has now garnered four 20-point games this season.