This Week: Notre Dame College will round out the 2021-22 regular season with a pair of MEC contests. First, NDC will travel to West Liberty University on Wednesday Feb. 23 for a 5:30 p.m. tip-off. Next, the Falcons conclude the regular season inside Murphy Gymnasium on Saturday Feb. 26 at 2:00 p.m. against Alderson Broaddus University.

Spectator Reminder: There will be no reserved seating or advance ticket sales for the game on Saturday. Masks are required.
 
Records: Notre Dame starts the week at 13-12 (12-8 MEC) and tied for fifth place in the Mountain East Conference. West Liberty begins the week at 18-8 (13-7 MEC) and tied for third in the MEC. Alderson Broaddus is currently 12-12 (9-11 MEC) and in eighth place in the Mountain East. It is worth noting that only two games separate third place from seventh place inside the MEC.
 
Coaches Corner: Imani Gordon is the head coach of Norte Dame College in her first season. Gordon was elevated to head coach prior to this season after serving as an assistant with the team since 2017-18. Kyle Cooper is in his fifth season as head coach of West Liberty University. Summer Quesenberry heads the Alderson Broaddus women's basketball program in her second season.
 
Rankings: None of these teams are ranked in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Poll.
 
Series History: Notre Dame is 11-8 all-time when playing West Liberty, dating back to their first meeting in 2013-14 and including NDC's 74-70 win over WLU back on Nov. 23. Notre Dame is 2-1 all-time when playing Alderson Broaddus, dating back to their first meeting in 2020-21 and including AB's 89-65 victory back on Jan. 22.
 
Noting the Falcons: Last week Notre Dame College split their pair of MEC contests. On Wednesday, NDC fell on the road to Charleston 93-76. Jada Marone led the Falcons on offense with a game-high 25 points, followed by Alana Ellis with 18 and Amil Ali-Shakir with 14. In addition, Marone set the new NDC record for free throws made without a miss as she netted 14-14 from the charity stripe. On Saturday, the Falcons stepped up and responded in a huge way with a 61-49 win at home over West Virginia State.  Entering the contest WVSU featured a top ten scoring offense nationally, but NDC's defense held them to a season-low 49 points. Leading the defensive charge was Theresa Parr with a career-high nine steals, which are tied for the second most in program history. Moreover, Parr grabbed a season-high 13 rebounds and tallied six points to go along with four assists. Tamia Ridley picked up the slack for NDC offensively by netting a career-high 19 points during the win, and grabbing eight boards. Marone's elite playmaking ability was on display again with a game-high five assists.
 
Leading the Falcons this season on offense is Ellis at 15.2 points per game, while Lilee Carlson (11.0 ppg) and Marone (10.7 ppg) are the other two NDC players to average double figures. Ridley checks in as the team's fourth leading scorer at 9.5 ppg, but the forward does most of her damage on the boards at 12.2 rebounds per game. Carlson leads the team in assists at 2.5 per game. Ali-Shakir (35.2%), Ellis (32.1%) and Marina Adachi (31.5%) pose the largest threat to opponents from behind the arc as NDC's top deep threats.
 
Stacking up against the rest of the Mountain East Conference, Ellis ranks ninth in scoring, while Carlson is tenth in free throw percentage (73.9%) and 17^th in assists. Ridley is currently atop the MEC and seventh in NCAA Division II in rebounds per game. Furthermore, the senior has amassed 293 rebounds this year, leaving her only ten boards shy of setting the NDC program record for rebounds in a season which was originally set by Joni DePiore during the 1996-97 season with 302.
 
On the season, Notre Dame is averaging 64.7 points (9^th MEC), while allowing 70.4 ppg (5^th MEC). Notre Dame's field goal percentage is 37.9% (8^th MEC) and they are allowing opponents to shoot 41.7% (8^th MEC) from the floor. NDC shoots 29.1% from three (9^th MEC), while opponents shoot 30.0% (5^th MEC) from deep. In terms of rebounding, the Falcons bring down 37.6 per game (8^th MEC), while Notre Dame is fifth in turnover margin at -0.5.
 
Noting the Hilltoppers: West Liberty University begins this week after winning both of their contests from a week ago. Wednesday, WLU beat Frostburg State 86-62 at home led by Karly McCutcheon's game-high 23 points (6-12 3FG). Audrey Tingle aided the Hilltoppers from several different avenues with eight points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. On Saturday, West Liberty took down Fairmont State on the road, 93-80. Bailee Smith scored a game-high 34 points (4-5 3FG), followed by Corinne Thomas with 23 (6-11 3FG), Arriana Manzay with 15 points and 14 rebounds and also Tingle with 11 points, ten rebounds and seven assists.
 
For the season, Baliee Smith leads the Hilltoppers high scoring offense at 15.5 ppg. Smith is followed closely by a slew of WLU scorers in, Thomas (14.5 ppg), Tingle (13.7 pgg), McCutcheon (13.1 ppg) and Manzay (12.3 ppg). In fact, all five Hilltoppers rank top 20 in the Mountain East in scoring, led by Smith who sits in ninth. In addition, Tingle is seated fourth in rebounding at 10.4 per game, while Manzay is eighth at 7.2 per game. Furthermore, Tingle leads the conference (2^nd NCAA D2) in assists per game with 6.8, making it worth noting that Tingle has registered four triple-doubles this season. The graduate students four triple doubles are the most amongst NCAA Division II, as no other player has recorded more than one. Thomas ranks second in the MEC in three-point percentage (40.3%) and second in three-pointer made per game (3.0). Lastly, Molly Bauer is second in the in blocks per game (1.9), while Manzay is tied for third at 1.5.
 
On the season, West Liberty is second in the conference and third in the nation in scoring offense at 82.0 ppg, while surrendering 69.9 ppg (4^th MEC). The Hilltoppers are second in the MEC in field goal percentage (45.9%) and third in opponent field goal percentage (38.3%). Moreover, WLU is dangerous when it comes to three-point scoring, as they are third in three-point field goal percentage (36.0%), while ensuring a league-best 28.7% opponent three-point percentage. Finally, West Liberty is third in rebounding (41.7 rpg) and sixth in turnover margin (-0.88).
 
Noting the Battlers: Alderson Broaddus University plays this week after splitting their MEC contests from a week ago. On Wednesday, AB took down West Virginia State 95-88 on the road. The Battlers shot an efficient 60.0% from the field and 61.5% from three, led by Nyshae' Weaver and Ariyah Douglas who went for 26 and 24 respectively to lead AB to victory. Weaver added 11 rebounds to generate a double-double while Douglas shot 6-8 from behind the arc. Iyahnna Williams also contributed a double-double of her own with 17 points and 12 rebounds. On Saturday, AB's shooting came down to earth at 36.5% from the floor and 28.6% from three, during their loss to Charleston, 72-61. Hannah Taylor and Taylor Isaac paced AB with 12 points each.
 
Alderson Broaddus is led by a four-way scoring attack of Weaver (14.6 ppg), Taylor (13.4 ppg), Williams (13.3 ppg) and Douglas (11.0 ppg). Weaver ranks 11^th in the MEC in scoring, while Taylor and Williams check in at 14^th and 15^th respectively. In addition, Weaver is the team's leading rebounder, ranking sixth in the conference at 8.7 rpg. Williams is seventh in the MEC in free throw percentage (80.5%), while Isaac is sixth in three-pointers per game (2.3). Lastly, Douglas is second in the Mountain East in assists per game at 4.8.
 
As a whole, Alderson Broaddus favors an up-tempo playing style that is fifth in the MEC and seated 20^th nationally in scoring offense at 77.1 ppg. However, AB is susceptible on the defensive side, allowing a league worst 84.0 ppg to opponents. The Battlers are third in field goal percentage (45.2%), while being ninth in opponent field goal percentage (43.3%). Alderson Broaddus is a middle of the road team from behind the arc at 30.2% (7^th MEC), while allowing 29.6% from three by opponents (4^th MEC). In addition, AB is seventh in the conference in rebounding (38.7 rpg), while being last in turnover margin (-8.29).