This week: Notre Dame College will host Fairmont State on Wednesday Feb. 9 at 5:30 p.m. before traveling to Frostburg State on Saturday Feb. 12 for a 2:00 p.m. tip-off.
 
Spectator Reminder: There will be no reserved seating or advance ticket sales for the game. Masks are required.
 
Records: NDC begins this week on a three-game winning streak and hold a 10-11 (9-7 MEC) record to sit in seventh place in the Mountain East. Fairmont State is 11-10 (9-7 MEC) and in sixth place in the MEC. Frostburg State is currently 5-16 (4-12 MEC) and in tenth place in the conference.
 
Coaches Corner: Imani Gordon is the head coach of Notre Dame College in her first season. She was elevated to head coach after serving as an assistant with the team since 2017-18. Stephanie Anderson is in her third season at the helm of Fairmont State after serving as an assistant with the team for five seasons. Carrie Saunders in her eighth season with the Frostburg State program.
 
Rankings: None of these teams are ranked in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Poll.
 
Series History: NDC is 11-6 all-time when facing Fairmont State since their first meeting in 2013-14, and including Notre Dame's 84-73 win over FSU last week. In addition, Notre Dame is a perfect 5-0 against Frostburg State all-time since the 2019-20 season, and including NDC's 69-60 win over the Bobcats back on Jan. 10.
 
Noting the NDC Falcons: Notre Dame is coming off a perfect 3-0 stretch last week, which feature critical second half adjustments in all three contests in order to secure the victories. On Monday, NDC scored a season-high 84 points to beat Fairmont State 84-73 on the road. Alana Ellis led the Falcons with a career-high 31 points, followed by Marina Adachi and Tamia Ridley with 16 apiece, matching their season best. Moreover. Ridley snagged a game-high 14-rebounds to post her eighth double-double this season. On Wednesday, Notre Dame's defense stepped up to fight off West Virginia Wesleyan during a low-scoring affair 48-41. 41 points scored is a season best for NDC on defense. Ellis again paced the Falcons with a team-high 14 points, followed by Ridley's 12-point 19-rebound double-double. The senior's 19 rebounds are tied for the fourth most boards in a game in NDC program history. Lastly, on Saturday, Notre Dame concluded their perfect week with a 63-60 win at Davis & Elkins. On this occasion, the Falcons were led by Marina Adachi's 14, Lilee Carlson's 13 and Amil Ali-Shakir's 12.
 
All season long it has been Ellis leading this NDC offense at 15.5 points per game. Carlson checks in as the only other double-digit scorer at 11.5 ppg. Ridley is the third leading scorer at 9.1 ppg, but she does the most of her damage on the glass, posting 12.3 rebounds per game. Carlson dishes out a team-leading 2.8 assists per game.
 
Stacking up against the Mountain East in terms of scoring, Ellis and Carlson check in at ninth and 23^rd respectively. In terms of rebounding Ridley is second in the MEC (0.1 behind first) and eighth amongst all of NCAA Division II. Moreover, the senior leads the MEC in offensive rebounds per game (4.2) and has tallied a team-high nine double-doubles this season. Lastly, Carlson ranks tenth in the conference in assists.
 
On the season, Notre Dame ranks ninth in the MEC in scoring at 64.6 ppg, while being ranked fifth in the league in scoring defense by allowing 71.8 ppg. In terms of field goal percentage, NDC is eighth at 37.9%, while also being eighth in opponent field goal percentage at 41.9%. In addition, The Falcons play above average in three-point percentage (5^th at 30.4%) and opponent three-point percentage (4^th at 28.8%). Finally, Notre Dame ranks eighth in rebounds per game (38.3), while being sixth in turnover margin (-1.2).
 
Noting the FSU Falcons: Fairmont State is entering this week on a four-game losing streak after dropping all three of their contests from last week. On Monday, FSU fell to NDC 84-73 with Alyssa DeAngelo pacing Fairmont State with 24 points. Katy Darnell added a double-double during the contest with ten points and 12 rebounds. On Wednesday, the FSU Falcons took No. 1 Glenville State down-to-the-wire but fell 79-74. The five-point loss was impressive by FSU, seeing as GSC leads the country in scoring margin and it is only their second single-digit win of the season. Jalen Gibbs stepped up for Fairmont State with a team-high 19 points (9-9 FG) and seven rebounds in just 21 minutes. On Saturday, the Falcons fell again, this time 89-81 to Concord. Sierra Kotchman paced the offense with a game-high 26 points, followed by DeAngelo's 17.
 
On the season, Fairmont State boasts four double-digit scorers, but Kotchman (17.8 ppg) and DeAngelo (17.2 ppg) headline this Falcon team as a one-two scoring combo who ranks second and fifth in the MEC respectively. Moreover, Darnell and Gibbs are the other two scorers for FSU at 10.0 ppg each, with Darnell also being the team's top rebounder at 7.2 rpg (11^th MEC). Kotchman also is one of the top three-point shooting threats in the league at 3.3 made threes per game (70 in total, 3^rd NCAA DII) and third in the MEC in three-point percentage (40.0%).
 
As a team, Fairmont State features a rapid scoring offensive attack at 81.5 ppg which is tied for second in the MEC and tied for fifth in the nation. However, Fairmont State is susceptible to allowing points as they are tenth in the MEC in scoring defense at 77.5 ppg. FSU ranks fifth in the league in field goal percentage (43.1%), while being tied for tenth in opponent field goal percentage (43.5%). The Falcons are amongst the elite in terms of three-point scoring, by being second in the MEC at 36.4%, while also showing the top three-point defense in the MEC at just 27.8%. Lastly, Fairmont State is vulnerable on the glass as they are dead last in rebounds per game in the conference at 32.9 (3.1 less than 11^th), but they take care of the ball with a +4.4 turnover margin (3^rd MEC).
 
Noting the Bobcats: Frostburg State is entering the contest after finishing 2-1 a week ago. On Monday, the Bobcats defeated Wheeling 59-47, behind the efforts of Arianna Briggs-Hall who was the only double-digit scorer for FSU on the evening with 12 points and nine rebounds. On Wednesday, FSU won their second consecutive contest with a 72-66 win over Concord. Ciara Thomas scored a game-high 17 points during the contest, as Samiya Esema tallied a 10-point 10-rebound double-double in just 14 minutes of play. On Saturday, the Bobcats rounded out their week against No. 1 Glenville State where they lost 117-57. Esema was the Bobcats lone player in double figures as she again generated a double-double with ten points and 13 rebounds.
 
For the season, the Bobcats feature a more methodical offensive approach that features just one player in double figures with Maggie Sharp averaging 11.1 ppg. Sharp also poses as the top three-point threat with a team-high 36% shooting on a team-high 125 three-point attempts. C. Thomas (9.5 ppg) and Morgan Dombroski (9.0 ppg) are the other two main contributors to this Bobcats offense. Esema is the team's leading rebounder at 7.5 rpg (tied 8^th MEC).
 
As a team, Frostburg State is scoring 62.7 ppg (10^th MEC) and allowing 74.0 ppg (8^th MEC). In terms of shooting, FSU is tenth in field goal percentage (36.8%), but an impressive fifth in the conference in opponent field goal percentage (40.6%). The Bobcats check in at 29.5% (7^th MEC) from three-point land, while surrendering 32.8% shooting from three (11^th MEC). On the glass, FSU is ninth in rebounds per game at 37.3 and seventh in turnover margin at -2.8.