SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio -- Sophomore forward #Eric Dummermuth# led a second-half surge, as Notre Dame defeated Algoma (Ont.), 90-57, on Wednesday. (Box)

Dummermuth scored 17 second-half points and posted a double-double (20 points, 12 rebounds) and Notre Dame shot 60.0 percent (21-for-35) from the floor in the second, as the Falcons earned their 10th win of the season. Five NDC players notched double-figures in the game.

Notre Dame (10-5) outscored Algoma, 61-34, in the second frame. 

"All the guys played real hard in the second half," said Head Coach Kevin Bille.  "We did a lot of things well, especially once we got our transition game rolling."

The Falcons started the game slowly, going 0-for-4 from the floor and 1-for-4 from the foul line in the first four minutes of play. NDC rallied from that shaky start, however, to open up an 18-8 lead by the nine-minute mark. A staunch Falcon defense would help the Blue & White maintain a steady lead throughout the balance of the first. Notre Dame held Algoma to just six field goals in the Thunderbirds' first 24 attempts from the floor.

AU went on to shoot 33.3 percent (9-for-27) in the first half. Meanwhile, Notre Dame's frontcourt led a sometimes disjointed offense to a 29-23 lead at the half. Sophomore forward #Phil Biggs# garnered eight points in the opening frame to lead the NDC offense. Turnovers played a key role in Notre Dame's halftime lead - NDC outscored the Thunderbirds, 12-2, in points off turnovers in the opening 20 minutes.

In the second half, the Falcons came out strong. NDC went 6-of-6 from the floor and opened the half with an impressive 12-2 run. Eric Dummermuth and #Karim McFarlane# led that surge, which paved the way to a 15-point lead (45-30) by the 14:27 mark.

The Thunderbirds counter-punched, getting the margin back within 10, but then Notre Dame went on another run, this time outscoring AU, 11-2, from 13:36 to 11:11. Dummermuth put an exclamation mark on that run with a fast-break slam down the middle of the lane. That put the Falcons up, 56-37.

The NDC starting five would be on the floor together for one more stretch after that, and Dummermuth and company kept the momentum going for the Falcons. By the five-minute mark and after back-to-back trips down the court with technical fouls called on AU players, the Falcons led, 76-47.

Head Coach Kevin Bille started subbing shortly thereafter, and Notre Dame closed out the game with the 33-point margin of victory on the strength of 21 field goals, four treys and 15 free throws.

That margin marks the team's best since Nov. 28, when NDC topped Miami-Hamilton, 91-45.

Dummermuth scored his 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting. Sophomore forward Phil Biggs scored a career-high 19 points while grabbing eight rebounds. Sophomore guard #Nick McCartney# lit up the box score with 13 points, six assists and five steals.

For the game, Notre Dame shot 50.7 percent (34-for-67) from the field. The Falcons out-rebounded the Thunderbirds, 47-34. 

Dele Owaru paced Algoma with a 17-point, 16-rebound performance.

The game was played as an exhibition for Algoma, which currently owns a 7-2 record on their season.

NDC will now kick off a stretch of 11 straight conference games on Friday, Jan. 8, with a road game at Houghton-N.Y. (6 p.m.). The Falcons will then be off for six days before hosting Shawnee State next Thursday (Jan. 14, 8 p.m.).


NOTES FROM THE NEST …

IN THEIR OWN NEST: Tuesday's game marked the last of three straight home games for the Falcons. NDC is now 6-2 on College Road this season and 44-17 (.721) on their home hardwood over the last three seasons (2007-10). … Notre Dame is now 2-0 all-time against Algoma. The Falcons beat the Thunderbirds in South Euclid last season, 72-55 (Dec. 29, 2008). NDC is 4-1 all-time against Canadian programs.

JUMP FOR JANUARY: NDC is 18-7 (.720) in their last 25 games in the month of January (2006-09).

MEET THE THUNDERBIRDS: Algoma University is located in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and has an enrollment of 1,200. … Algoma fields varsity teams in men's and women's basketball and in men's and women's curling. The Thunderbirds are members of the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA).

CONFERENCE CALL: After Tuesday's game, Notre Dame is now scheduled to play 11 straight American Mideast Conference games (Jan. 8-Feb. 9) before playing its final non-conference tilt of the season (Feb. 11 vs. Ohio State-Newark). The Falcons are 2-0 this season in AMC play and are a member of the newly-formed AMC North Division, along with Daemen (N.Y.), Houghton (N.Y.), Malone, Point Park (Pa.) and Roberts Wesleyan (N.Y.). Coming into Tuesday's action, NDC, Daemen and Roberts were all over .500 on the season.

61*: Notre Dame's 61 second-half points on Tuesday mark their most in a half of play since the Falcons torched Miami-Hamilton for 66 in the first 20 minutes of an eventual 115-52 victory at Murphy Gymnasium on Nov. 16, 2007. … Notre Dame has now notched 90 or more points in five games this season.