Box Score
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A second-half comeback nearly netted Notre Dame a victory, but the Falcons lost to Le Moyne (N.Y.), 56-55, on Monday evening.

A Le Moyne free throw with two seconds remaining vaulted the Dolphins (1-0) to a win in their season opener.  Notre Dame (0-2) shot under 20 percent from the field in the opening half before battling back into what became a see-saw game over the final eight minutes of play.

Junior center Erin Entinghe had a 10-point, seven-rebound, three-block game for the Falcons, who scored 40 points in the second half after a 15-point first.  The Dolphins scored 30 points off 27 NDC turnovers in the contest.

The Falcons struggled mightily in the early going, missing their first 13 attempts from the floor in falling behind, 18-1.  Both Notre Dame and Le Moyne were solid on the defensive end, forcing frequent turnovers throughout the exchange of possessions in the first half.  By the five-minute mark in the opening half, the host Dolphins had a 22-5 lead and the two teams had piled up a combined 26 turnovers.

NDC's shooting woes and turnovers contributed to a 28-15 halftime lead for Le Moyne.

In falling behind by 13 points over those first 20 minutes, the Falcons shot just 19.2 percent (5-of-26) from the field.

Coming out of halftime, the Blue & White went on an 11-4 run to pull within six (32-26) by the 15:24-mark.  Shots were finally falling for the Falcons, and Notre Dame was improved with its ball-handling and rebounding.  The surge continued.

By the 11:18-mark, NDC had worked itself back into a one-possession game; the Falcons were down by three (38-35) with the team now making more shots than it was missing.

When Lexi Hassing drained a 3-pointer at 8:19, Notre Dame had come all the way back and then some.  That shot put the Falcons up, 42-40.

Eight lead changes later -- with the game clock inside of two-and-a half minutes -- NDC was still on top, 53-52.  A Kym Bowsher layup at 1:54 extended that Falcon lead to three points.

Notre Dame's next three possessions resulted in two turnovers and a missed three, and by the 15-second mark the game was tied at 55-55.

With LMC in the double-bonus, the Dolphins' Alex Marple drew a foul and then went to the free-throw line where she drained one free throw and missed a second.  Notre Dame was unable to get off a final shot.

Marple finished with a game-high 13 points.  She and the rest of the Dolphins struggled at the foul line, going just 13-of-27 (48.1 percent)

Notre Dame rallied to shoot 54.8 percent (17-of-31) in the second half.  The Falcons also struggled from the line, going just 6-for-12 (50.0 percent) for the game.

Lauren Macer had 12 points for NDC. Macer also came up with a game-high four steals.

Monday's game in Syracuse, N.Y., marked the third meeting in as many years between the Falcons and Dolphins.  Notre Dame defeated Le Moyne, 58-50, in 2010-11.  The Dolphins topped NDC, 51-37, last season.

The Falcons' next game will be the team's 2012-13 home opener, a 2 p.m. tilt against Clarion (Pa.) on Saturday.