Box Score
CANTON, Ohio -- Notre Dame rallied in the final minutes of Thursday night's contest against Malone, but their late surge was not enough, as they fell to the Pioneers, 89-85.

For the Falcons (1-1), the loss was their first of the year, and their second in their last three contests against the Pioneers. The victory for the Pioneers (2-0) marked their third in their last four at home dating back to last season.

The contest was tight the entire way through, with neither side being able to take a double digit advantage.  The lead changed hands a number of times, with both sides exchanging a multitude of runs. 

In the opening half, the Falcons got out to a great start, scoring six of the game's first eight points, but Malone would strike back quickly to take the lead.  The Pioneers led by six with 1:37 to play in the opening stanza, before the Falcons closed with a 7-0 run, which was capped by Tyree Gaiter's 3-ball with one second remaining to give NDC a 38-37 lead at the break.

Notre Dame maintained its lead through the first five minutes of the second half, before Malone's Isaiah Elliot buried a trifecta to give Malone a 50-49 advantage.  The Pioneers shot 52.6-percent (20-for-38) in the second half, including a 55.6-percent (5-for-9) clip from 3-point land en route to scoring 52 points in the second stanza. 

The Falcons trailed by seven (82-75) with 2:39 to play, before they caught fire and battled back.  Notre Dame narrowed the deficit to one in the following 90 seconds.  Gaiter kickstarted an 8-2 run for the Falcons during that stretch with another 3-pointer.  Gaiter dumped in two more on a layup before Lawrence DeArmond's triple with 59-seconds remaining brought the Falcons within one (84-83).  Malone's Che Richardson was able to put the game away with a trio of free throws in the final minute.

NDC shot 40.8-percent (29-for-71) from the floor on the night, and hit 50.0-percent (5-for-10) from long distance. 

“This was a tough game on the road, as we expected,” said Head Coach Kevin Bille. “I'm proud that we battled until the end.  We just weren't able to get over the hump and secure the win.”

A trio of Falcons scored in double digits.  DeArmond led the way for NDC with 20 points on the night, while Eric Dummermuth delivered his second consecutive double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds.  Gaiter added 15 points to go along with nine assists and Kalomo Figueroa-Jackson provided a spark off the bench with eight points and six boards.


The Falcons will be in action again on Tuesday, Nov. 20, when they take on Lake Erie in a home tilt at Murphy Gymnasium. The contest is scheduled for a 7 p.m. tip.