Box Score SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio -- Something had to give on Wednesday night at Murphy Gymnasium, and unfortunately for the home side it was the Falcons who gave way in falling to their seventh straight defeat. (Box)

In a battle of two teams who came into the contest on matching six-game losing streaks, Roberts Wesleyan (N.Y.) was the victor in a 70-64 game.

Senior center Alif Bland stuffed the stat sheet with 23 points, seven rebounds and five blocked shots for Roberts Wesleyan (5-13).  That effort -- and a dominating night on the boards for the Raiders -- was enough to stop Notre Dame (4-11) on a night when freshman guard Marcquise Taylor netted a career-high 31 points.

With the loss at Murphy Gymnasium, Notre Dame falls to 2-4 this season in games on its home hardwood.  The Falcons' seven-game losing streak marks the program's longest since January-February, 2003, when NDC closed out its second season with 16 straight losses.

The win for Roberts marked the Raiders' first victory since Dec. 7 and its first road win since Nov. 4.

RWC opened up an eight-point lead (19-11) by the midpoint of the opening half. The Raiders out-rebounded NDC, 15-6, over the first 10 minutes of action, setting the tone in the paint and preventing second chances for the Falcons.

The Raiders would maintain a healthy lead throughout the balance of the first.  Only a late surge led by Phil Biggs and Taylor Rieger brought NDC to within eight (32-26) at the break.

Roberts started off the second half on an 8-3 run.  Back-to-back layups by Marcquise Taylor inside the 15-minute mark brought the Falcons to within seven, at 42-35.  But the visiting five countered with a 14-9 run; that had the Raiders up, 56-44, at the 7:45-mark.

As they had in the first half, Roberts Wesleyan continued to dominate on the glass.  That solid rebounding and the inability of Notre Dame's offense to muster a significant run, spelled RWC maintaining its lead.  Starting at the 6:17-mark, NDC went on a 6-0 run to make things interesting.  A basket by Troy Baugh and two by Taylor -- and some nifty Falcon defense amidst that trio of scores -- brought Notre Dame to within six (56-50) by the three-minute mark.

Baugh would make a basket with 33 seconds remaining to bring NDC to within four (62-58).  But with RWC nailing free throws late, that's as close as the Falcons would get.

Taylor's 31 points came on an 11-of-21 shooting performance from the field and an 8-for-9 night at the free-throw line.  The freshman guard also notched a team-high six rebounds on a night when the Falcons were out-boarded, 41 rebounds to 25.  Senior forward Phil Biggs added 12 points.

For Roberts, Bland's 23 points were backed up by three other Raider players scoring double digits.  Junior guard William Kemp-Harris had an impressive final line for RWC; he scored 13 points, garnered 10 rebounds and dished out six assists.

For Notre Dame, Wednesday's game kicked off a stretch that has the Falcons on College Road for six-of-eight games.  That stretch will continue on Saturday when NDC hosts Cedarville.  As the back end of a women's-men's doubleheader at Murphy Gymnasium, the Falcons-Yellow Jackets tip is slated for 4 p.m.


NOTES FROM THE NEST …

FAMILIAR FOES:  Prior to Wednesday night's game at Murphy Gymnasium, Notre Dame and Roberts had met 21 times, with the Falcons having a slim 11-10 lead in the all-time series between former conference foes.  NDC and RWC tangled in the American Mideast Conference from 2001-11. … With Wednesday's result Notre Dame is now 6-5 all-time against RWC in South Euclid.  Roberts has won four of the last five meetings.  The two teams had met earlier this season when NDC travelled to Rochester, N.Y., to hand the Raiders a 65-62 loss on Dec. 9.

TURNING IT ON: In his first eight collegiate games, Marcquise Taylor averaged 14.3 points per game while shooting 41.2 percent (40-of-97) from the field.  Since then -- in seven contests prior to Wednesday -- the Columbus, Ohio, native had shot a blistering 56.2 percent (41-of-73) from the floor while averaging 19.2 PPG. … Taylor averaged 19.5 PPG en route to garnering Second Team All-Ohio honors as a senior at Columbus Africentric.

EIGHTEEN!: There must be something in the air on “1/18” -- Marcquise Taylor's scoring output marked Notre Dame's best single-game performance since Jan. 18, 2011, when Eric Dummermuth tallied 32 points against Malone.  Taylor has now scored 98 points over his last four games.