SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio – Notre Dame College fell in their home opener to the University of Charleston by a score of 83-60, on Saturday afternoon.

NDC was the first team to score, and did so at the 17:49-mark when junior Michael Sampson hit a layup. The Falcons took off and over the next minute-and-a-half, the Falcons knocked down three field goals and two free throws to go up 8-0.

"I think we did come out and play well," said head coach Mark Richmond. "[Charleston] obviously wasn't ready to go, so they subbed five guys out. And for whatever reason, against that second group, our guys relaxed or exhaled for a second and you look up and we were down double-figures."

After the substitutions, UC connected on the next six shots they took. With 11:42 to go in the first half, the Golden Eagles had taken a 16-10 advantage. Charleston pushed the lead to 11 points with just under nine minutes remaining.

Later in the first stanza, Notre Dame put together a 10-1 run and cut the deficit to seven points, 31-24. Junior Jordan Roland and freshman Jevontae Jones each had five points during the run.

Charleston led by 11 at halftime, 39-28, and held a steady lead throughout the second half. UC shot 51 percent from the field in the game and had 21 assists.

"We're having trouble sustaining things on both ends of the floor," Richmond said. "We're having trouble executing offensively like we should be, we're not passing the ball like we should be. Defensively, we're telling guys what is going to happen and this is the third game we allowed it to happen."

For NDC, Roland led all scorers with 21 points, on 53-percent shooting.

"We're excited about Jordan [Roland]," Richmond mentioned. "He's a guy who hadn't played in a game in two years. He sat out last season, but I think he's getting more comfortable. We need everyone to get more comfortable. I don't think he's shot the ball from the perimeter as well as he's hoped for yet, but I think he will and he'll get better. He is great at getting in the lane and finding people and making plays, because he is tough to stay in front of."

Junior Tyland Crawford added 12 points and five rebounds. Sampson and senior Coye Campbell also hauled in five rebounds, each. The Falcons out-rebounded Charleston, 37-31.

Notre Dame has a quick turnaround and will play Wheeling University on Monday, Jan. 18. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m.