RIO GRANDE, Ohio -- Brandon Ivery stuffed the stat sheet with 23 points, seven boards, and six assists and Rio Grande earned home court advantage in next week's AMC Qualifying Tournament first round, as the Red Storm defeated Notre Dame, 85-67, on Saturday.  (Box)

Senior swingman #Dan Jones# scored 21 for the Falcons and freshman guard #Nick McCartney# added 20, but NDC could not overcome a poor first half and a minus-eight in the turnover column for the game.

With the loss, NDC settles into sixth place in the final American Mideast Conference standings. With that, the Falcons (18-11, 7-6 AMC) will travel back to Rio Grande (20-10, 7-6) next week to take on the Red Storm in the AMC Qualifying Tournament's first round (Tuesday, Feb. 24, time TBA).

In the opening half of Saturday's game, Notre Dame shot just 38.5 percent (10-for-26) in falling behind, 50-27, to their URG hosts who shot 55.3 percent (21-for-38). Poor shot selection, mounting turnovers, and a deficit on the boards plagued the Falcons throughout the first.

NDC took an early 8-6 lead on a layup by McCartney, but the Red Storm countered with a 21-4 run over the next six minutes to take control of the game. URG eventually bumped their lead up to 23 points, which is where it stood at halftime (50-27). The Red Storm's 50 points mark the most the Falcons have yielded in a half this season.

“That was just a bad start for us,” said NDC Head Coach #Kevin Bille#. “We definitely looked like a young team up against a veteran team who knew how to capitalize on our mistakes.”

In the second, the Falcons whittled away at Rio's lead, with McCartney's long-range shooting being a key. The Falcons' 5-foot-7 point guard drilled a trey to start the second half. That keyed a 19-10 run for Notre Dame that had them down 60-46 by the 11:48 mark.

McCartney would hit three more 3-pointers, and NDC cut the Rio lead to as little as nine at one point. But Rio Grande was able to diffuse mini-rallies with key baskets and free throws when needed. The Red Storm also controlled the boards, not giving the Falcons many opportunities for second-chance baskets. For the game, Notre Dame was out-rebounded, 36-28, and NDC finished with just three offensive boards on the evening.

The Red Storm were able to rebuild their double digit lead and eventually run out the clock for an 18-point home win that earns them the right to play at home yet again this season.

NDC outscored Rio, 40-35, in the second half, with the Falcons shooting 53.6 percent (15-for-28) from the floor. McCartney scored his 20 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field; he was 4-of-7 from beyond the arc and 6-of-7 at the free-throw line. Dan Jones tallied 21 on 8-of-11 shooting. Both Jones and McCartney were tagged with five turnovers, however. As a team the Falcons had 20 miscues, their most in a game since Dec. 1.

Freshman forward #Eric Dummermuth# scored 13 points and had a team-high nine rebounds. Freshman forward #Phil Biggs# added six points and three boards off the NDC bench. Pivot man #Karim McFarlane# struggled – he went 2-of-9 from the floor and finished with five points.

For Rio Grande, Brandon Ivery scored his 23 on 11-of-15 shooting. Junior guard P.J. Rase added 18 points on the strength of four treys. Senior guard Aaron Drakeford chipped in with 12 points, six boards, three assists, and three steals.

With the win on their home floor at Newt Oliver Arena, the Red Storm close out the regular season with three straight victories. They are now 9-4 at home this season, and home is where they'll be for the first round of the AMC Qualifying Tournament … next week against the Falcons yet again.


NOTES FROM THE NEST…

ROAD REPAIRS NEEDED: Notre Dame's loss at Rio Grande Saturday ran their road record this season to an even 6-6. The Falcons, however, have struggled away from South Euclid as of late – NDC is 1-4 in their last five away games. Three of those four losses were by double-digit margins.

TOUGH TOWN: Notre Dame is now 0-4 all-time at Rio Grande. Prior to Saturday's regular season finale, the last time the Falcons had visited Rio was Dec. 4, 2004. … The Falcons are now 2-7 all-time against the Red Storm.

DAN GETS IT DONE: The Falcons' Dan Jones is closing out his collegiate career in style. The 6-foot-3 senior from Niles, Ohio, has led the team in scoring in five of their last six games. Saturday marked his fifth 20-point game this season.