SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio – Following a slow start, Notre Dame College shot 51-percent in the second half. However, West Virginia State University's offense was able to keep the momentum on the side of the visitors as the Yellow Jackets won, 95-77, on Saturday.

WVSU was making their shots to start the contest. The Yellow Jackets knocked down a couple of threes and a layup before the Falcons got on the board. Freshman John Godinez connected on a jumper with 18:19 on the clock to make the score 8-2.

Notre Dame had to work back from an early deficit and started to chip away at the West Virginia State lead. Junior Jaedon Willis was fouled behind the three-point line and sank all three free throws.

W.Va. State went cold, missing five consecutive shots. Sophomore Obinna Ugwuakazi went on a 5-0 run with a made free throw and back-to-back layups. After a block by freshman Jamarr Talbert Jr., Willis went down the court and sank a layup to bring the Falcons within 11 points (23-12), with 10:48 on the clock.

Godinez knocked down a shot at the 5:14-mark, and the Falcons were down by just 10 points (35-25). But the Yellow Jackets went on another run in the final five minutes of the half and led 53-32 at halftime.

Willis led the Falcons with 13 points at the break, knocking down all seven of his free throws. The Yellow Jackets had 15 assists in the first half and were shooting 54-percent from the floor.

"We dug ourselves a deep hole," said head coach Mark Richmond. "We came off of an emotional loss on the road in Charleston, where I thought we played fairly well and we expended a bunch of energy… [Tonight's start] was uncharacteristic of our team."

A layup by West Virginia State's Jeremiah Moore with 16:41 to go in the game gave WVSU a 21-point lead (62-41). Junior Sam Jackson started an NDC run when he made back-to-back shots. Willis and junior Michael Sampson each got to the paint and added to the 8-0 run for the Falcons.

A triple by Willis at the 13:47-mark put Notre Dame behind by 10 points (64-54). NDC would stick around and the farthest West Virginia State could expand the lead over the next four minutes was 15 points. Junior Tyland Crawford was fouled, made two free throws, and then made a layup on the next possession to cut the deficit to single digits (72-63) with just under 10 minutes remaining in the contest.

The Yellow Jackets scored the next seven points and increased their lead to 16 with 7:57 remaining. They would hold a steady lead the rest of the way.

Notre Dame shot the ball better in the second half, going 17-for-33 from the floor and 8-for-9 from the free throw line. Willis (14 points, 71-percent shooting) and Crawford (13 points, 63-percent shooting) combined for 27 points in the second half. Willis finished the game with 27 points, making eight shots and going 9-for-10 from the free throw line. Crawford had 17 points and seven rebounds in the game.

The Falcons will face No. 2 West Liberty University, on Feb. 23. The game will begin at 7:30 p.m. and will be played in West Liberty, W.Va.