This Week: The Notre Dame College women's basketball team begins a road trip, starting with Wheeling University on Wednesday Jan. 24 at 5:30 p.m. The Falcons will then head to Salem University on Saturday Jan. 27 at 2 p.m.
 
Records: NDC begins the week at 4-12 (2-8 MEC), as WU is 12-4 (7-2 MEC) and SU sits at 3-13.
 
Coaches Corner: Lauren Macer is back at the helm of the Notre Dame College women's basketball team in her second stint and fifth season as head coach. Macer, the 2019-20 MEC Coach of the Year, maintains an 82-44 career record. Anna Kowalska is in her second season with Wheeling, holding a 26-19 career mark. Nikayla Edgell begins her first season as head coach of Salem.
 
Rankings: None of these teams are ranked according to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) poll.
 
Series History: Notre Dame is 15-8 all-time against Wheeling, dating back to their first meeting in 2013-14 and including the Cardinals 70-57 win back on Nov. 18 inside Murphy Gymnasium, despite sophomore Noel Weathers posting a game-high 21 points and 15 rebounds. The Falcons are 2-0 all-time when facing Salem, dating back to their pair of meetings in 2012-13.
 
Noting the Falcons: Last week, Notre Dame fell at Frostburg State 83-68 despite four Falcons in double figures, led by Rachel Richardson's season-high 20 points. On Saturday, NDC dropped a home contest to No. 13 Fairmont State, 75-46, as Cencere McDaniel and Lilee Carlson each scored 10.
 
The aforementioned Weathers headlines Notre Dame College, ranking 15^th in the Mountain East Conference at 12.3 points per game. Moreover, the Mt. Healthy High School product leads the MEC in rebounds per game (8.9) and blocks per game (2.1), as the Cincinnati, Ohio native is seated 20^th in the entire country in blocks per game. Moreover, the sophomore has tallied 34 blocks on the season, tied for the fifth-most in NDC single season history, including the most since Molly Ritz (38) in 2012-13. Weathers also posts team-highs in field goals made (82) and attempted (183), and is second in field goal percentage (44.8%) and steals (20).
 
Lilee Carlson (9.8 ppg) and Kennadi Harris (9.6 ppg) and round out the top three scorers for NDC. Harris ranks first in the MEC and 24^th in the country by shooting 41.4-percent from three. The redshirt junior is also tied ninth in the conference with 1.8 three-pointers made per game. Carlson registers the most efficient shooting mark for the Falcons with a 52.5-percent shooting from the floor.
 
Cencere McDaniel (8.5 ppg), Rachel Richardson (8.4 ppg) and Karli Anker (7.6 ppg) offer additional offensive support, as Carlson and Richardson facilitate the offense at 35 and 33 assists, respectively. Carlson is 22^nd in the MEC in total assists with 35.
 
As a whole, Notre Dame averages 65.6 points per game on 39.5-percent shooting from the floor, 29.4-percent shooting from three and 63.3-percent shooting from the free throw line. The Falcons add 35.2 rebounds per game (-6.9 margin), 12.1 assists per game, 8.9 steals per game and 4.0 blocks per game. NDC is first in the MEC and tied for 44^th in the country in blocked shots per game.
 
Noting the Cardinals: Last week, Wheeling stumbled on the road to Glenville State 78-58, with Shamia Strayhorn totaling 17 points and nine rebounds in 36 minutes played. On Saturday, WU bounced back with a 73-64 victory, as five players found their way into double figures, led by Graci Fairman's 18.
 
Strayhorn (13.7 ppg) and Briarley Rogers (12.0 ppg) are the one-two combo for Wheeling as the lone players to average double digits. The duo own the most field goals made and attempted on the team, as they rank tied for 10^th and 17^th in the MEC in scoring.
 
Fairman (9.4 ppg), Rachel Wilson (8.3 ppg), Bryana Henderson (7.7 ppg) and Jacqui Hinesmon (7.4 ppg) contribute to the scoring attack for Wheeling. As a whole, WU is balanced on offense with five players attempting at least 100 shots on the season, including four players with at least 39 three-point attempts.
 
Kenzie Dalton is the maestro for the Wheeling offense, averaging 3.9 assists per game, tied for third in the league. Dalton is also tied for second in the MEC with a 1.5 assist to turnover ratio. In addition, Dalton contributes on the defensive side of the ball with 2.9 steals per game, tied for third in the MEC.
 
On the glass, Wilson corrals a team-best 7.0 rebounds per game, ranking eighth in the conference. Strayhorn checks in next, tied for 23^rd at 4.9 boards per game.
 
As a unit, Wheeling averages 67.9 points per game on 40.7-percent shooting from the floor, 30.7-percent shooting from three and 75.2-percent shooting from the free throw line. Wheeling adds 37.6 rebounds per game (-0.4 margin), 12.4 assists per game, 9.7 steals per game and 3.0 blocks per game.
 
Noting the Tigers: Last week, Salem saw No. 13 Fairmont State and despite a game-high 18 points from Cassandra Smith, alongside 17 from Emerson Wells (5-9 3PT), the Tigers dropped 67-58 to the Falcons. On Saturday, Liliani Krause (15) and Elena Pericic (11) found their way into double figures, but the SU fell to Frostburg State 74-53 on the home court.
 
Pericic is the heart and soul for Salem, leading the team in scoring (13.5), rebounding (8.4), blocks (30), steals (25), field goals made (83) and attempted (176) and free throws made (24).
 
In terms of shot selection, the Tigers are balanced with five other players tallying at least 100 shots on the season. The likes of Teodora Popovic (9.5 ppg), Anete Bluma (8.8 ppg), Carine Pinkney (7.9 ppg) and Wells (7.8 ppg) offer additional scoring for Salem.
 
A trio of Tigers in Wells (36 and 37.9%), Popovic (27 and 40.3%) and Pericic (26 and 36.1%) all shoot the ball well from beyond the arc, flashing at least 25 three-pointers on at least 36% shooting.
 
Popovic (3.6 apg) and Pinkney 3.3 (apg) are the team's top facilitators, totaling 51 and 53 assists on the year, respectively.
 
On the boards, Bluma (5.9 rpg) checks-in alongside Pericic's team-high 8.4 rebounds per game.
 
As a team, Salem averages 63.5 points per game on 42.0-percent shooting from the floor, 34.3-percent shooting from three and 69.1-percent shooting from the free throw line. The Tigers add 37.8 rebounds per game (-1.1 margin), 13.8 assists per game, 6.8 steals per game and 3.8 blocks per game.