This Week: Notre Dame College hosts West Virginia State on Wednesday, December 5, at 5:30 p.m. before traveling to Charleston on Saturday, December 8, for a 2 p.m. game.  
 
Records: The Falcons are currently 5-2, 3-1 MEC after defeating Wheeling Jesuit on the road and West Liberty at home last week. West Virginia State is 2-5, 1-3 MEC and is currently on a three-game skid. Charleston is 7-1, 4-0 MEC after winning six straight games.
 
Coaches Corner: Lauren Macer is in her second season as the head coach of the NDC women's basketball program. She holds a record of 28-11, 20-6 MEC. Charles Marshall is in his third year at the helm of the West Virginia State team. Marshall is currently 30-36, 26-22 MEC. Becky Burke is in her first season as the leader at Charleston after spending the last two seasons as the head coach at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical. She is 7-1, 4-0 MEC in her first year at UC and 42-19 overall in NCAA DII.  
 
Rankings: None of these teams were ranked in the December 3 Women's Basketball Coaches Association poll.
 
Series History: The Falcons are 7-4 against West Virginia State and 8-4 against Charleston. In head coach Lauren Macer's first season, Notre Dame went 2-0 against both teams.
 
Noting the Falcons: Notre Dame saw the return of two of its key 2017-18 starters last week as guard Marisa Finazzo and forward Maggie King saw their first floor time of the 2018-19 year. Finazzo and King each had their seasons cut short last year after suffering injuries. Finazzo played in both games, scoring 22 points in 36 minutes played while stealing the ball six times. King saw less time with just two minutes in one game, but was able to secure one rebound in her play. Dating back to last season the Falcons are 17-8 in games that both Finazzo and King have played.
 
Noting the Yellow Jackets: West Virginia State has struggled shooting the ball this season with an MEC-low 35.6 shooting percentage. But due to their ability to steal the ball and get to the free throw line, the Yellow Jackets rank fifth in the league in scoring offense (75.0 ppg). WVSU ranks second in the MEC in steals per game (11.14) and lead the league in free throw attempts per game (26.7).
 
Noting the Golden Eagles: Charleston has been the surprise team of the Mountain East Conference this season after starting off 7-1, 4-0 MEC. The Golden Eagles were picked to finish six in the preseason poll, but they did receive one first-place vote from the coaches. Becky Burke has done well in her debut season as the UC head coach, and brings with her a pedigree of basketball success after winning an NCAA DI Championship at Louisville in 2009. Burke has found roles for her players early this season. Raziyah Farrington, a Western Carolina transfer, has emerged as the team's number one scoring option by averaging 19.4 points per game. Anna Hayton, in her third season, is the team's post presence. Hayton, standing at 6-foot-2 is averaging 13.4 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. Last season, UC's per game leaders capped out at 12.2 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per game.