This week: Notre Dame College men's basketball will host West Virginia State University on January 24 at 7:30 p.m. The Falcons will travel to the University of Charleston on January 27 for a 4 p.m. start.

Records: The Falcons currently hold a 5-13 overall record and are 3-9 in the Mountain East Conference. West Virginia State is currently 10-7, overall, and 8-4 in the MEC. Charleston is 10-8 and 6-6 in the MEC.

Coaches Corner: Tim Koenig is currently in his fifth season at the helm of the Falcons and holds an overall record of 69-70 and has an MEC record of 44-56. Bryan Poore is in his 19th season as head coach of the Yellow Jackets and has an overall record of 321-255. Dwaine Osborne is in his fifth season as the head coach of Charleston and has a record of 81-56, overall, and 55-45 in the MEC.

Rankings: None of these teams are ranked in the NABC Coaches rankings.

Series History: Notre Dame holds an 8-3 all-time record against West Virginia State since 2013-14 and the Falcons lost to WVSU 98-88, on December 6. Against Charleston, NDC has a record of 2-7 since 2013-14. On December 9, the Falcons lost to the Golden Eagles 103-76.

Noting the Falcons: Notre Dame fell to Wheeling Jesuit University on January 17 by a score of 105-86. Drew Scarberry scored 28 points and hit eight three pointers, which is tied for second most in program history. Kyauta Taylor also added 22 points and connected on four three pointers. Four players scored in double-digits and NDC shot 50-percent from three. Notre Dame won 97-85 over Urbana University in overtime on January 20. Taylor led the team with 25 points and knocked down seven three pointers. Last week, Taylor averaged shooting 53-percent from the field and 65-percent from three point range. Halil Parks scored 22 points and Angelo Cugini had 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds. NDC outscored UU 15-3 in the extra period. Notre Dame shot 52-percent from the field for the game and shot 65-percent in the first half.

Taylor is third in the conference with 19.7 points-per-game while Cugini is fifth in the MEC with 7.5 rebounds-per-game. Taylor is first in the MEC shooting 89-percent from the free throw line. NDC ranks third in the conference in three point percentage, shooting 39-percent. Notre Dame ranks sixth in the nation, and second in the conference, in three pointers made with 226 and they are second in the conference with 16.7 assists-per-game.

Noting the Yellow Jackets: West Virginia State snuck past the University of Virginia-Wise on January 17. In the 90-88 overtime win, Glen Abram scored 26 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Robert Fomby tallied a double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds. Jahlen Greene added 15 points off of the bench. The Yellow Jackets shot 43-percent, overall, and 39-percent from three point range. In another close game, WVSU took down Charleston, 83-82 on January 20. West Virginia State outscored UC 48-43 in the second half. Five players scored in double-digits with Abram leading the way by scoring 16 points and Greene again had 15 points off the bench. WVSU had 23 points off turnovers.

Fomby is tied for fifth in the MEC with 7.5 rebounds-per-game and his teammate Pat Johnson-Agwu is seventh with 7.3 rpg. Jerry Moore is blocking 1.88 shots per game which is most in the MEC. Johnson-Agwu is also first in the conference in field goal percentage at 59-percent. West Virginia State averages 8.35 steals-per-game, which is second best in the conference.

Noting the Golden Eagles: Charleston beat Concord University by a score of 82-65 on January 18. UC was leading 48-30 over Concord at halftime. Kier Anderson scored 19 points and grabbed five rebounds. Ke'Andre Gibson scored 12 points and had five of the Golden Eagles' 16 steals. UC had 52 points in the paint and 28 points off turnovers. Against West Virginia State, Charleston fell 83-82. All five of UC's starters scored 10 points, or more. Anton Ivy scored 10 points and grabbed 12 rebounds while Gibson added 14 points and eight assists. UC shot 50-percent from the field and 80-percent from the charity stripe.

Charleston ranks fifth in the MEC in lowest points allowed per game with 79.4 ppg and they rank third in field goal percentage defense holding teams to 45-percent field goal percentage per night. UC usually wins the rebounding battle, averaging a +3.3 rebounding margin, which is second in the MEC.

High scorers: West Virginia State (87.2 ppg), NDC (85.1) and Charleston (82.8) rank third, fourth and fifth, respectively, in the conference in scoring-per-game.