SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio – Another solid shooting performance by Notre Dame College leads to the Falcons' fourth consecutive victory, a 91-81 win over D'Youville University. In each of the last four games, Notre Dame has shot over 50-percent from the field and on Saturday, NDC set a season-high in shooting percentage, at 60-percent, which is also eighth highest in program history.
 
The first half was not flawless for the Falcons, as they had to work their way back from several deficits. To begin the game, D'Youville's Kevin Thompson blocked a dunk attempt and that led to a layup by Trayton Trice, plus a foul, on the other end. The Saints jumped out to a 5-0 lead.
 
Notre Dame marched right back with an 8-0 run. Junior Davin Zeigler, junior Andre Harris, sophomore Devin Haid and sophomore Jevontae Jones each hit a layup. NDC would drive to the hole consistently and finished the half with 36 points in the paint.
 
With 15:56 on the first half clock, Haid knocked down a jumper to give the Falcons a 10-8 advantage. However, D'Youville bounced back with a 22-11 run, over the next six minutes, to grab a nine-point lead (30-21).
 
Following the under-10 minute media timeout, the Falcons attempted to swing the momentum. Harris hit a pair of free throws before Adio stole the ball and Harris put the ball through the hoop, again, to pull NDC within four points.
 
DU then pushed the lead back to nine points, 36-27, but the Falcons responded with a 21-9 run over the final 7:16 of the first half. Jones got the engine started when he hit a jumper on a fastbreak. Harris then made a shot and was fouled. He missed the free throw, but Jones grabbed the offensive rebound and the ball worked its way around to an open Adio for three points. Haid then stole the ball and would take it down the floor for a layup to knot the game up at 36. And NDC capped the 11-0 run with a driving layup by Adio to take a 38-36 lead.
 
Jones came up big, again, with a three-point play at the 2:46-mark. He made the layup and hit a free throw to put Notre Dame back in front 43-40. That was the beginning of an 8-5 run for NDC, who took a 48-45 lead into the halftime break. The entertaining first stanza featured five lead changes and five ties.
 
Both Harris and Haid totaled 11 points in the opening 20 minutes of play. NDC shot 60.6-percent as a team in the first half.
 
"I thought we were pretty efficient, offensively," head coach Mark Richmond said. "We were moving the ball and kind of got down hill on them. They didn't help much on the shooters so we were able to get into a rhythm and make plays for others. We did a good job of finishing around the rim and getting second chance points."
 
Throughout the first 10 minutes of the second half, the game was tied five different times and the lead changed hands twice. A short 6-3 run at the beginning of the second half allowed D'Youville to tie the contest at 51.

Although the Saints only led for a minute and-a-half in the second stanza, they remained within striking distance for the first 13 minutes, following of the halftime break. A jumper by Adio, at the 11:56-mark, stopped a D'Youville 6-0 run and tied the contest at 59.
 
Haid continued to play a big role as the Falcons created some separation. Off of a DU missed three pointer, he immediately sent the ball up the floor to Jones for a dunk. He then connected on back-to-back layups to put the Falcons ahead by four, 65-61, with 9:49 remaining in the game.
 
The Falcons' sophomore shot 4-for-6 from the field and went 6-for-6 at the free throw line for 14 second half points. He ended the game with a season-high 25. The Wooster, Ohio native has shot 60-percent, or better, from the field in his last three contests.
 
"I thought [Haid's] athleticism stood out today," Richmond mentioned. "He got into the paint, got to two feet and made the right play, the right read, most of the time and did a nice job at the free throw line."
 
The Saints used two free throws to get within two points, but the Falcons took off again and scored 13 unanswered. At one point, Haid scored six consecutive points by himself, which included a steal and a layup. Adio dribbled the ball down the floor, to the baseline and right past the defense for a dunk. With six minutes on the clock, Notre Dame led by 15 points, 78-63.
 
The closest that D'Youville could get the rest of the way was eight points.
 
In the second half, NDC had 17 points off turnovers, to DU's six and the Falcons totaled 12 fastbreak points, to D'Youville's two. Notre Dame entered the day 17th in the country in fastbreak points and had 22 on Saturday.
 
Along with Haid's 25 points and five steals, Harris had 20 points and seven rebounds, Adio added 15 points and six rebounds and Jones had 15 points, five rebounds and three blocks.
 
NDC's nine blocks is tied for the most by the team this season.
 
Notre Dame will now prepare for the second half of the conference schedule. The Falcons stay home to battle West Virginia State, on Jan. 10, at 7:30 p.m.