This Week: The Notre Dame College women's basketball team hosts Frostburg State University on Wednesday Feb. 21 at 5:30 p.m. Next, NDC travels to Fairmont State University on Saturday Feb. 24 at 2 p.m.
 
Records: NDC begins the week at 8-16 (5-12 MEC). Frostburg State holds a 15-9 (12-5 MEC) mark, while Fairmont State sits at 19-5 (13-4 MEC).
 
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 85-47 career record. Jenna Eckleberry is in her second season with Frostburg State, while Stephanie Anderson is in her fifth season at Fairmont State.
 
Rankings: Fairmont State University is currently receiving votes to be ranked according to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) poll.
 
Series History: Notre Dame is 7-2 all-time against Frostburg State, dating back to their first meeting in 2019-20 and including the Bobcats 83-68 victory back on Jan. 17. Rachel Richardson tallied a season-high 20 points in the game. NDC is 12-10 all-time against Fairmont State, dating back to their first meeting in 2013-14 and including FSU's 75-46 victory back on Jan. 20 when they were ranked No. 13 in the country.
 
Noting the NDC Falcons: Last week, Notre Dame dropped a nail-bitter to Charleston 62-59, as the Falcons had the ball with a chance to tie on the final possession. A very balanced scoring attack saw Lilee Carlson, Kennadi Harris and Noel Weathers lead the team with 11 points each. On Saturday, the Falcons fell on the road to WV State 89-67.
 
NDC is paced by Weathers' team-high in points (12.6), rebounds (8.8) and blocks (2.3). The sophomore ranks first in the MEC in rebounds and blocks, and 15^th in points, while also seated 13^th in the entire country in blocks. Moreover, the Cincinnati, Ohio native owns the second-most blocks in a single season (54) in NDC program history, including the most since Joni DePiore in 1995-96 (56). The Mt. Healthy High School product boasts a team-high seven double-doubles on the year.
 
Harris checks in next at 10.2 ppg, leading the Falcons in three-pointers made (41), attempted (105) and percentage (39.0%).
 
A slew of Falcons in Carlson (9.6), Karli Anker (9.1), Cencere McDaniel (8.1) and Richardson (8.0) offer additional offensive support. Carlson and Richardson tag-team the facilitating duties, totaling 60 and 48 assists, to rank 15^th and 25^th in the MEC, respectively. All four players, including Mallory Hullinger have made at least 11 three-pointers on the year.
 
Carlson joins Weathers as top 10 in the conference in blocks, ranking ninth at 0.8. In addition, the junior leads the team with 33 steals.
 
As a team, Notre Dame averages 67.3 points per game on 40.8-percent shooting from the floor, 31.6-percent from three and 65.3-percent from the free throw line. The Falcons add 35.4 rebounds per game (-5.5 margin), 12.3 assists per game, 8.2 steals per game and 4.3 blocks per game. NDC ranks first in the MEC and tied for 24^th in the country in blocks per game.
 
Noting the Bobcats: Last week, Frostburg State took out West Liberty at home on Wednesday 94-88 behind Emilee Weakley's game-high 36 points. On Saturday, FSU defeated Wheeling 77-64 as Jenna Muha tallied 24 points and 13 rebounds.
 
Weakley is the heart and soul to the Bobcat offense as the sophomore leads the entire country in scoring by more than three points (25.2). Weakley posts team-highs is field goals made (181) and attempted (381) and free throws made (137) and attempted (169). In addition, Weakley grabs 6.5 rebounds per game, 11^th in the MEC.
 
Maggie Sharp and Muha aid the Bobcats at 11.3 and 10.5 ppg, respectively. Sharp is the top three-point threat in the conference at 38.8-percent on 64 made threes, ranking 22^nd in NCAA Division II for made threes. Muha paces the team in field goal percentage (48.4%), while being the leading rebounder at 7.3 per game, sixth in the league.
 
Alanna Tate is the primary ball handler, touting team-highs in assists per game (3.0) and assist to turnover ratio (1.0), to rank top 10 in the conference in both categories.
 
As a unit, Frostburg State averages 76.1 points on 45.1-percent shooting from floor, 33.0-percent from three and 77.5-percent from the charity stripe. The Bobcats add 39.5 rebounds per game (+5.7 margin), 13.5 assists per game, 7.3 steals and 2.3 blocks per game. Amongst NCAA Division II, FSU ranks t-12^th in free throw percentage, 15^th in scoring and 20^th in field goal percentage.
 
Noting the FSU Falcons: Last week, Fairmont State defeated Wheeling 78-71 on Wednesday, as four players scored in double figures with Leslie Huffman notching a game-high 22 points. On Saturday, Katy Darnell posted 25 points and 12 rebounds as FSU bested West Liberty 77-69.
 
Fairmont State deploys a strong offense, led by Alyssa DeAngelo's team-high 19.3 ppg, ranking second in the MEC and 13^th in the country. DeAngelo touts team-highs in field goals made (148) and attempted (380), three-pointers made (61) and attempted (181) and free throws made (105) and attempted (122).
 
The likes of Darnell (14.8), Jalen Gibbs (13.1) and L. Huffman (12.0) also flash double-digit scoring averages. Darnell is second on the team in field goals made (141) and attempted (281), while being the leading rebounder at 7.5 rpg. Darnell ranks eighth in scoring and tied for fourth in rebounding in the conference. Gibbs is the most efficient player on the squad with 54.1-percent from the floor, to go with 6.7 rebounds and 1.4 block, ranking third, eighth and second in the MEC, respectively. L. Huffman is a threat from beyond the arc at 44.2-percent.
 
Madeline Huffman is the top facilitator in the league at 5.4 assists per game, while owning the leading assist to turnover ratio at 1.8. M. Huffman is seated tied for 15^th in the country in assists per game.
 
As a whole, Fairmont State averages 77.4 points per game on 43.5-percent shooting from the floor, 32.3-percent shooting from three and 69.0-percent shooting from the free throw line. The Falcons add 35.0 rebounds per game (-4.7 margin), 14.2 assists per game, 12.6 steals per game and 2.9 blocks per game. Amongst the NCAA Division II, FSU ranks ninth in scoring and 15^th in steals per game.