FAIRMONT, W.Va. – Attempting to defeat another top 25 ranked team this season, Notre Dame College took a lead into halftime and stayed within striking distance of No. 23 Fairmont State University in the second stanza. FSU was able to make late free throws and escape with an 85-83 victory, on Saturday.

Fairmont State got off to an incredibly hot start by making six of their first seven shots from the field. George Mangas scored to give the FSU Falcons a 20-7 lead with 12:04 to go before halftime. At that point in the contest, the home team was shooting 69-percent.

The FSU 13-point lead would be the largest advantage for either team in the game. Notre Dame would start matching baskets with Fairmont State before FSU went cold from the field. Incredibly, Fairmont State's final field goal of the first half came with 8:58 on the clock. The only points they would score, for nearly nine minutes, came at the free throw line.

Notre Dame's offense took advantage and put together an impressive comeback. After Mangas knocked down a pair of free throws to put Fairmont State ahead by 12 points (30-18), NDC would go on a 21-5 run to close out the first half.

On a second chance opportunity, freshman John Godinez hit a three, junior Jaedon Willis hit a jump shot and, on a fastbreak, junior Michael Kirkland sank a layup. Fairmont State called a timeout as the NDC Falcons were down by just five points (30-25) with 5:47 to go.

Less than three minutes later, a shot by junior Michael Sampson, with an assist by Kirkland, tied the game at 32. Junior Sam Jackson, stole the ball and found Willis for a fastbreak layup to give the NDC Falcons their first lead of the contest, with 2:01 on the first half clock.

To put some distance between the two teams, Willis hit his only three-pointer of the first stanza with a few second left to put NDC in front 39-35 at the break. Fairmont State missed the final 15 shots that they took from the field in the first half and ended the first 20 minutes shooting just 36-percent.

The first three shots that NDC took in the second half were put up by Willis. He made two jumpers and kept NDC in front by five points. Willis scored 14 points in the second half, on 56-percent shooting. He finished the game with 23 points.

Fairmont State then put together a 10-0 run to take the lead and with 14:47 remaining, the FSU Falcons held a 48-43 advantage.

A made layup and a foul sent FSU's Isaiah Sanders to the free throw line with a chance at a three-point play. He made the foul shot and put Fairmont State up by eight points (54-46). Sanders had 12 points in the first eight minutes of the second half.

The largest lead of the second half was nine points, held by Fairmont State two different times. But NDC fought back and took the lead. Down by seven points with 5:12 to go, Godinez made a mid-range jumper, following an offensive rebound by Jackson.

Then, a turnover by FSU led to a three-pointer by Kirkland. He would finish the game with 13 points, shooting a perfect 6-for-6 from the field, in 16 minutes off the bench.

Willis was clutch for the NDC Falcons, once again, getting down the floor quickly after a miss and knocking down a shot from long range to give NDC a 75-74 lead with under four minutes remaining. He would tie the game at 78, with another three pointer at the 1:16-mark.

FSU made five of their seven free throws with under a minute left to clinch the game.

"We really battled today and we unfortunately came up short," said head coach Mark Richmond. "These games are fragile and there are a few possessions we'd like to have back. Overall, I'm proud of how we played. We'll watch the film and continue to learn and get better. Winning on the road against good teams is difficult, but we're getting closer."

Junior Tyland Crawford scored seven points in each half for 14 total points to go along with seven rebounds. The Falcons shot 52-percent for the game and had 30 points off the bench to Fairmont State's seven.

Notre Dame will travel to West Virginia State University, on Jan. 12, for a 7:30 p.m. start.