SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio – The key to Notre Dame College's success is playing together, and on Saturday, they recorded nine steals, 28 points off turnovers and had four starters score in double-digits to get a 78-63 win over Urbana University. NDC has posted back-to-back wins for the first time this season.

Senior Deanthony Owens bounced back very quickly from a tough offensive night in the Falcons' previous game, on Wednesday. In the initial five-and-a-half minutes of Saturday's first half, he scored NDC's first 10 points and stole the ball twice.

"It was a huge relief," Owens said. "I went 1-for-8 against Wheeling and I was stressed out after that game. To come out in rhythm and start hitting some shots really felt good."

On the other side of the court, Urbana had built up a 14-10 lead, shooting 4-for-5 from the floor and 2-for-2 from the free throw line to start the game. But the Blue Knights could not get out of their own way at times and the turnovers started to mount. They had six turnovers by the 13-minute mark in the first half.

Notre Dame hung around and their energy began to show late in the first half. The Falcons grabbed the lead briefly at the 11:47-mark and again at the 6:19-mark, but for most of the half, Urbana held the lead.

"I don't think we came out with that same intensity and effort that we had the other night," said head coach Mark Richmond. "It took us some time to get into it. I felt like we finished the half pretty well."

With about three minutes left, freshman Jordan Burton caused problems by driving and drawing fouls. He gave Notre Dame four points at the free throw line in less than a minute. That seemed to spark the team as Burton then tied the game at 35 with 53-second left and with 10-seconds remaining, sophomore Levi Frankland sank a three to put Notre Dame on top 38-35 as the teams headed for the locker rooms.

The Blue Knights shot the ball extremely well in the first half, going 14-for-23 (61-percent). NDC finished the half shooting 46-percent, but shot 50-percent from three. Owens was 4-for-8 from the field, 2-for-3 from long range and 4-for-4 at the free throw line for 14 first half points.

Owens opened up the scoring the second half, as well. He received a lob from senior Bruce Hodges III and slammed it down. A minute-and-a-half later, he connected on a three pointer. The Falcons took advantage of Urbana's cold shooting to open the second stanza and went on a 9-2 run. Adding that to how they ended the first half, the Falcons were on a 14-2 run over a six-minute span.

"In the second half, we were really good," Richmond said. "The first five minutes [of the second half], I thought we really guarded. I thought our effort in the second half was much better."

With 15:44 to go in the game, NDC held a 47-37 lead. About three minutes later, an 11-0 run developed for the Falcons over a two-minute span, pushing the Falcons lead to 18 points, 60-42, with 10:09 on the clock. During the run, the points seemed to come in threes, in conventional and unconventional ways. Frankland made a three, senior Drew Scarberry was fouled shooting a three and made all three free throws and senior Daniel Lott completed an and-one free throw after making a basket.

The NDC lead did not fall below 13 points the rest of the contest and the Falcons finished off their second consecutive double-digit win.

"I thought our effort in the second half was much better," Richmond said. "Holding them to under 30 in the second half is a big accomplishment."

The Falcons shot 59-percent in the second half and shot 53-percent in the game. Owens had 20 points, six rebounds and a season-high three steals. Frankland added 14 points and six assists and Scarberry totaled 13 points and five rebounds.

Hodges went 5-for-6 in the second half, for 10 points. He ended the game with 12 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals. He has scored in double-digits in back-to-back games for the first time this season.

"I got off to a bad start today, I needed to wake myself up," he said. "I couldn't let people play harder than me, so I came out with a different mentality after that first five minutes. I just wanted to win and get two in a row."

"[Bruce] is a guy who is always in the right place at the right time," Richmond mentioned. "He's invaluable to us. I think what he's done better lately is getting into the paint. He's made some good passes and has scored at other times."

Freshman Jordan Burton continues to handle the ball well. Finishing with nine points, on 2-of-4 shooting, and two assists. His efficiency has caught the eye of his teammates.

"Jordan played another really good game," Hodges said. "He's played 73 minutes over the last two games and has three turnovers. That's not what a freshman does, and at this point, he's a sophomore and we need him to keep playing like one."

"J.B. has given us good minutes all year," Owens mentioned.

UU's Mario Lacy Jr. finished the game with 10 rebounds, seven offensive boards, and helped Urbana out-rebound Notre Dame, 32-29, becoming just the second team in the last 10 games to out-rebound the Falcons. But the amount of NDC steals and points off turnovers made up for it.

"I thought [the rebounding difference] was all one guy for them," Richmond explained. "Lacy had seven offensive rebounds, that was something we talked about and we need to do a better job in that aspect. But, you can kind of offset that once you turn them over. I thought our effort and enthusiasm was much better in the second half. I thought we played together."

Notre Dame will stay home to play Concord University, on January 29. The game is scheduled to tip-off at 7:30 p.m.