This Week: The Notre Dame College women's basketball team restarts their trek through MEC play with their first conference contest since Dec. 10. The Falcons will travel to Frostburg State University on Wednesday Jan. 4 at 5:30 p.m. before returning home to host Fairmont State University on Saturday Jan. 7 at 2 p.m.
 
Records: NDC begins the week at 3-9, including a 2-4 record inside the Mountain East Conference. Frostburg State is currently 3-9 (1-5 MEC), while Fairmont State sits at 8-4 (4-2 MEC).
 
Coaches Corner: Imani Gordon is in her second season as the head coach of Notre Dame College, holding a career record of 18-23. Jenna Eckleberry is in her first season at the helm of the Frostburg State women's basketball program. Lastly, Stephanie Anderson coaches Fairmont State University in her fourth season as head coach.
 
Rankings: None of these are ranked according to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Poll.
 
Series History: NDC holds a perfect 6-0 all-time record against Frostburg State, dating back to their first meeting in 2019-20 and including the Falcons 2-0 sweep of the Bobcats last season. Next, Notre Dame is 12-6 all-time when facing Fairmont State, dating back to their first meeting in 2013-14 and including the NDC Falcons 2-0 sweep of the FSU Falcons last season.
 
Noting the NDC Falcons: The last time out, Notre Dame College competed in the Tampa Tournament against No. 9 University of Tampa and Florida Tech back on Dec. 18-19. NDC fell during both contests, 87-58 to UT and 79-65 to Tech.
 
Averaging 18.7 points per game and ranking sixth inside the MEC this season, redshirt sophomore Alana Ellis has led NDC offense to date. She ranks atop the team in points, field goals made (80) and attempted (216), three-point field goals made (20) and attempted (73) and free throws attempted (41).
 
Joining the offensive attack is freshman Noel Weathers at 8.4 points per game and a team-leading 45.8% field goal percentage. Weathers also leads the team in rebounding (6.9), ranking 12^th in the MEC.
 
Senior Marina Adachi poses the most made three-pointers (20) and the top three-point percentage (41.7%) on the squad, while junior Lizzie Imrie holds a team-best 31 made free throws, 81.6% free throw percentage and 25 assists.
 
As a group, Notre Dame is averaging 62.9 points per game on 37.1% shooting from the field, 30.6% shooting from three and 69.1 % shooting from the free throw line. The Falcons claim 32.0 rebounds per game (-9.3 margin), 10.3 assists per game, 9.4 steals per game and 2.4 blocks per game. NDC ranks third in the MEC in three-point percentage and turnover margin (+3.0).
 
Noting the Bobcats: Frostburg State most recently played on Dec. 31 when they fell 57-51 to Salem. Prior to that, FSU's last conference contest was back on Dec. 10, in a 74-63 defeat to Concord.
 
Emilee Weakley drives the Bobcats on offense, ranking second in the MEC and 12^th in the country with 20.6 ppg. She is one of three players in the conference to average a double-double on the year, posting the third most rebounds in the MEC at 10.1. Weakley also leads the team in field goals made (81) and attempted (22), free throws made (67) and attempted (90) and steals (17).
 
Rhiana Hall and Maggie Sharp join the FSU offense with 11.4 and 11.0 ppg, respectively. Both players pose a threat from beyond the arc as Hall leads the team in three-point percentage (42.3%), while Sharp has made and attempted the most three-point field goals (30-118).
 
As a whole, Frostburg State averages 65.2 ppg on 35.2% shooting from the floor, 26.2% shooting from three and 67.9% shooting from the free throw line. The Bobcats secure 33.3 rpg (-8.7 margin), 9.2 apg, 7.4 spg and 1.3 bpg.
 
Noting the FSU Falcons: Most recently, Fairmont State traveled to Hawaii on Dec. 17-18. The Falcons defeated Hawaii Hilo 71-67, before falling to No. 10 Western Washington 76-63. Prior to that, FSU played their last conference game on Dec. 10 when they lost 89-71 to No. 8 Glenville State.
 
Fairmont State boasts a pair of top 10 scorers in the MEC in Alyssa DeAngelo (19.8) and Katy Darnell (17.3) who rank third and eighth, respectively. DeAngelo is the team's top offensive threat, ranking 16^th in the country in scoring, as she leads the team in field goals made (73) and attempted (181), three-pointers made (28) and attempted (82) and three-point percentage (34.1%).
 
Darnell ranks second on the team in field goals made (67) and attempted (135), while leading the team in field goal percentage (49.6%), free throws made (72), attempted (86) and free throw percentage (83.7%). In addition, Darnell is the team's leading rebounder at 7.8 rpg, ranking seventh in the MEC.
 
Jertaya Hall and Jalen Gibbs are the other two double-digit scorers for FSU at 10.7 and 10.0 ppg, respectively. Gibbs also poses a rebounding threat at 7.3 rpg, 10^th in the MEC.
 
As a unit, Fairmont State averages 79.3 ppg (12^th in NCAA Division II) on 40.7% shooting from the floor, 28.6% shooting from three and 72.7% shooting from the charity stripe. The FSU Falcons grab 36.2 rpg (-6.2 margin), 13.3 apg, 10.7 spg and 2.3 bpg.