SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio -- Notre Dame utilized sharp shooting at the beginning of both halves of basketball Saturday, as the Falcons snapped a three-game losing streak and beat Northwestern Ohio, 64-60. (Box)

Notre Dame (18-9, 10-4 American Mideast) went 7-of-10 from the field to start the game and 11-of-16 to start the second half en route to shooting 52.8 percent (28-for-53) for the game. Sophomore forward #Eric Dummermuth# led the charge for NDC throughout; he finished with 27 points and 15 rebounds to notch his 18th double-double of the season.

With the loss, Northwestern Ohio (13-14, 5-8) is 3-8 in 11 games since starting the season 10-6. Notre Dame had been 0-3 in the month of February prior to Saturday's win over the Racers.

The victory for NDC means the Falcons will hold at least a one-and-a-half game lead in the AMC North when they wake up Sunday morning. Notre Dame's closest pursuer, Malone, played at Point Park (Pa.) on Saturday evening. Malone started the day 8-6 in league play.

Notre Dame made seven of their first 10 attempts from the floor in opening up an early 15-8 lead. The Racers erased that lead and then took a lead of their own with a 9-0 run.

In a first half that featured discernible shifts in momentum, the Falcons answered the UNOH spurt with an 8-2 run and took a 23-17 lead by the three-minute mark. When the half ended, Notre Dame held a 27-21 lead, having outshot the Racers by a wide margin. NDC shot 52.0 percent (13-for-25) in the opening 20 minutes of play; UNOH was just 9-of-31 (29.0 percent). Eric Dummermuth and Josh Vorst paced their respective teams in the first, each scoring 10 points.

The Falcons took a double-digit lead (44-33) by the 11:40-mark in the second. As they had in the first, the Blue & White started out the half on fire. NDC made nine buckets in the first 14 attempts in the second.

The Racers worked the score back to even (55-55) by the 4:52-mark on the strength of some solid outside shooting and hustle-play on the boards. From 6:34 until Dummermuth put back a #Nick McCartney# miss at 3:50, the fast-start Falcons were held scoreless.

An Eric Dummermuth basket at 1:10 put Notre Dame up by four (61-57), and with Northwestern Ohio turning the ball over on the in-bound pass, the Falcons controlled the proceedings from there on out. Notre Dame iced the game at the stripe, with McCartney and Dummermuth hitting key free-throw tosses down the stretch.

Dummermuth scored his 27 points on a 13-for-17 afternoon from the floor. The 6-foot-6 power forward has now scored 25 or more points in three straight games. Senior guard #Al Miller# added 15 points on the day; sophomore forward #Phil Biggs# scored 10.

With his final basket on the afternoon, Dummermuth set a new Notre Dame single-season scoring mark; he has now scored 622 points on the season.

For the Racers, four players finished in double-figures. Forward Kyle Gillette led the way, scoring 17 points to go along with 12 boards. For the game, UNOH out-rebounded NDC, 39-34. The Racers shot 34.4 percent (22-for-64) for the game.

Despite the Falcons' quick starts and efficient play at times, Head Coach #Kevin Bille# noted the nervous moments at the end of Saturday's game.

“We need to find ways to close out our games better,” said Bille. “We need to continue to execute down the stretch. Still, after the last three games on the road, it was good to play in front of a great home crowd and come away with a win.”

Notre Dame will play their final regular-season home game on Tuesday, Feb. 16. NDC will welcome the Wildcats of Daemen College (N.Y.) in that AMC contest; tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m.


NOTES FROM THE NEST …

MILESTONE MAN: Eric Dummermuth logged two milestones in Saturday's game, both earned in the first half of play. The Falcons' sophomore sensation, who came into the game leading the AMC in both scoring and rebounding, topped the 600-point mark for the season, becoming just the second player in program history to do so. (Jerome Pierce topped 600 points twice in his career.) He also broke his own single-season rebounding record by topping the 287 boards he hauled down a year ago (2008-09). Through Saturday's game, Dummermuth has now garnered 622 points and 302 rebounds on the season. … Dummermuth's record-setting performance Saturday came in front of 471 fans, who packed Murphy Gymnasium for what now stands as the Falcons' largest home crowd this season.

TWO-FER TUESDAY: The Notre Dame Women's and Men's basketball teams will be adding pink to their traditional Blue & White on Tuesday, when the Falcons participate in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Pink Zone breast cancer awareness initiative. The WBCA began the WBCA Pink Zone™, formerly known as "Think Pink", in 2007 as an initiative to raise breast cancer awareness in women's basketball, on campuses and in communities. In their 2/16 AMC doubleheader against Daemen-N.Y. (6, 8 p.m., Murphy Gymnasium), NDC will wear pink accessories, including shoelaces, to show support for the cause. Fans attending the games are encouraged to wear pink for a chance to win prizes. A donation box will also be on hand in an effort to raise money for the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund. … Also on Tuesday, Notre Dame men's hoops will honor their senior players prior to the game.

HOME COOKING: Having lost three straight away from South Euclid, the Falcons were glad to return to the nest on Saturday. NDC is now 12-2 at Murphy Gymnasium this season and 23-6 (.793) at home over the last two seasons. Notre Dame is 50-17 (.746) on their home floor over the last three seasons (2007-10).

DON'T JUST READ ABOUT IT, WATCH IT: Saturday's UNOH-NDC game will be aired on SportsTime Ohio on Saturday at 10 p.m. and again on Sunday, at 12 p.m.