Box Score FAIRMONT, W.Va. -- Junior guard Lauren Macer and freshman guard Martha Nagbe each scored 18 points to rally Notre Dame from a 18-point first-half deficit for a 65-63 victory over Fairmont State. (Box)
 
The Falcons (8-9) are off to a perfect start to the 2012 calendar year. Lauren Macer and Martha Nagbe each scored 18 points as the other three starters, Courtney Clark, Tiffany Adkins, and Alex Dackin combined for just 12 points.
 
“Lauren and Martha's defense generated our offense in the second half,” Notre Dame Head Coach Katie Hine said. “They dug deep in the second half and pressured their guard which created steals.”
 
Kaitlin Snyder and Hailey Garrett had 17 and Emily Lohr scored 10 points for Fairmont State (7-3), which had a six-game winning streak stopped.
 
The bench play of Erin Entinghe and Molly Ritz ensured the Falcons reserves outscored their counterparts 17-11. Entinghe provided all of her nine points in four minutes of action in the first half, while Ritz came on strong collecting a team-high nine rebounds while scoring six points.
 
“Erin had some key offensive possessions that kept us in the first half,” Hine said. “She developed a confident mentality which made her a threat on the floor.”
 
Fellow reserve Brittany Reddy shot just 1-for-6, but the first year guard from Strongsville, Ohio, pulled down five rebounds and held Fairmount State's leading scorer Kaitlin Snyder to just six points in the second half, 17 for the game. Reddy's defense forced Snyder into a game-high seven turnovers.
 
They trailed by 18 at the 11:54 mark in the first half and trailed by 13 at the break as FSU came out shooting a hot 62 percent (18-for-29) from the floor in the opening half.
 
However the Blue & White opened the second half on an 11-5 run to pull within seven (48-41) with just under 15 minutes to play.
 
The teams locked into a seesaw battle till the 8:12 mark when Martha Nagbe's two free throws started a 10-0 run capped by a Lauren Macer 3-pointer.
 
The Falcons built a five point lead when Nagbe converted two additional foul shots with 3:08 remaining.
 
Notre Dame hit 13-of-18 foul shots, including 11-of-14 in the second half led by Nagbe's 6-for-6. The freshman from Lakewood, Ohio, came into the contest shooting just 68 percent (62-for-91) from the line.
 
The Falcons held off a late charge by Fairmount State to earn the 65-64 victory.
 
“2012 has brought to the team as a group we have been talking about coming together at this time of year and not folding … they have really stepped up to the plate these past two games,” Hine said.
 
The Falcons closed out 2011 with a 62-57 overtime loss to a Slippery Rock team that only had one win in their previous seven games before losing an 80-70 decision to Mercyhust that brought the Lakers to .500 (5-5). 
 
However 2012 has seen Notre Dame defeat Concord (W.Va.) 83-76, snapping the Mountain Lions seven game winning streak and dropping them to 9-2 overall. Then the Falcons came from 18-down to defeat Fairmont State in dramatic fashion, 65-64, breaking the Fighting Falcons six game winning streak as they fell to 7-3 overall.

Notre Dame will be back in action on Saturday, Jan. 7 when they travel to Urbana (2-8) for a 2 p.m. tip against the Blue Knights.
 
The Falcons defeated UU 70-54 in South Euclid on Dec. 3 for their third straight victory. Courtney Clark scored a career-high 19 points in the victory as eight players score four or more points. In that game the Blue Knights will first time Head Coach Maria Marchesano on the bench. The Fort Wayne, Ind., native takes over for Tray Huntsman.