Box Score BUCKHANNON, W.Va. -- In their third consecutive road tilt of the new year, the Notre Dame Falcons fell to West Virginia Wesleyan, 80-64, on Thursday night.
For the Falcons (7-6, 3-4 MEC) the loss was their sixth in a row on the road, while for the Bobcats (5-8, 3-4 MEC) the win was their third in a row at home.
Notre Dame had a tough time making their shots throughout the night, shooting just 39.0-percent (23-for-59) from the floor, while the Bobcats were on fire from the floor, netting 68.2-percent (30-for-44) of their shots on the evening.
The problems began from the get go for the Falcons, as they shot just 25.0-percent (2-for-8) over the opening five minutes of the contest. Despite, that, they were only down by three (10-7) after
Lawrence DeArmond's layup at the 14:53-mark.
Over the next four minutes, the Bobcats went on an 8-2 run, to extend their lead, and eventually brought the lead to 14 on two occasions, and found themselves ahead, 33-19, with 2:40 left in half.
Notre Dame responded in a big way, and went on an 8-0 run through the remainder of the half to draw within six (33-27). During that stretch, the Falcons forced a turnover and three WV Wesleyan misses, while NDC made four consecutive shots to trim the deficit.
Unfortunately for the Falcons, they were not able to carry that momentum into the second half, where the Bobcats again started out hot, nailing their first four shots. WV Wesleyan took control of the contest, and never allowed the Falcons to get back into the game, after they outscored NDC, 17-4 over the first seven minutes of the half, to take a 50-31 advantage.
Both teams would exchange runs through the remainder of the half, as the Bobcats led by as many as 21 (54-33) at the 11:19-mark, and the Falcons caught a second wind inside the five minute mark.
Tyree Gaiter hit a 3-pointer with 4:52 left, which started an 11-2 NDC run, as they Falcons were able to trim the lead to single digits, trailing by eight (69-61) with three minutes left, but that was as close as they would get the rest of the way.
Kyauta Taylor led the way for the Falcons with 21 points on the night to go along with a trio of assists. DeArmond was one rebound away from a double-double, finishing with 13 points and nine boards to go along with five steals, while Gaiter ended the night with 19 points and five assists.
The Falcons are in action again on Saturday, Jan. 10, when they return home to take on West Virginia State at Murphy Gymnasium. Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m.
