False start
Falcons dropped by Ohio Dominican in overtime opener
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SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio – Notre Dame fell short in a comeback bid in their opener Friday night.  The Falcons dropped a 79-77 overtime decision to Ohio Dominican in the first of back-to-back games to start their season.  No. 14 NDC will play Urbana at home Saturday afternoon.

Ohio Dominican (1-0) sprinted to an 8-0 lead to start the game, with NDC failing to connect on their first several shots from the floor.  The Panthers would maintain the lead throughout the opening stanza.  ODU took a 31-25 lead into halftime on the strength of 50.0 percent (15-for-30) shooting from the floor.  Brian Busch (Sr/Beavercreek, OH) led the Panthers, scoring 10 first half points.

Notre Dame’s (0-1) shooting was cold from the outset.  The Falcons shot just 31.4 percent (11-for-35) in the first half.  They were 1-for-9 from beyond the arc and just 2-for-5 from the line.

Despite their lackluster start, NDC flourished in the opening moments of the second stanza.  By the 17-minute mark, the strong play of senior forward Keith Bowden (Akron, OH) and sophomore center Karim McFarlane (Portmore, Jamaica) put the Falcons on top, 34-31.

The two teams traded baskets for the next five minutes of game play.  The Panthers then went on a 13-1 run fueled by sophomore guard Adrienne Rodriguez (Lorain, OH).  By the 8-minute mark, the Panthers seemed in control, 59-47.  At that point the Falcons were able to stem the tide somewhat, but they only cut into ODU’s lead by two points over the next four minutes.

At that point, with NDC trailing 65-55, and 4:27 showing on the game clock, a little flash of 2006-07 NDC basketball was sparked on the Murphy Gymnasium hardwood.  McFarlane and senior point guard Jerome Pierce (Toledo, OH) combined for nine points over a two-minute span to pull Notre Dame within six points, 67-61. 

Junior guard Kyle Miller (Piketon, OH) and Bowden then combined to connect for six unanswered points to tie the score, 67-67, at 1:16.  The Panthers answered with three free throws; they held a three-point lead when NDC brought the ball upcourt with 24 ticks remaining in regulation.

Nine seconds later, a Miller three rocked the crowd with another moment recalling last February when NDC found itself in the midst of back-to-back comebacks on their home floor.  The Panthers’ Rodriguez missed a 3-pointer as time expired, sending the game into overtime.

In the extra frame, Notre Dame took an early lead.  When McFarlane connected on a three-point play on an inside move at 2:06, NDC had a 75-72 lead.

ODU then tied the game on a clutch 3-point jumper from Sonny Stattmiller (So/Columbus, OH).  Kyle Miller answered with a move in traffic at the 1:30 to give Notre Dame a 77-75 advantage.  That would be the last bucket of the game for the Falcons, who missed their final two attempts from the floor.

Ohio Dominican scored the final four points of the game on a field goal and a pair of free throws, thwarting what had been a nice comeback by the Falcons in front of their home crowd on opening night.

“I give credit to Ohio Dominican’s players and coaches," said NDC Head Coach Kevin Bille. "They did a very good job tonight.”

“At the same time, I think we didn’t play up the level we expect to every night.  We came out flat, didn’t shoot it well, and more importantly, played poorly on the defensive end.  It was nice to see us come back and force overtime, but it’s disappointing that we didn’t finish the game, especially on our home floor.”

For the game, Pierce and Miller led NDC in scoring, with 21 and 20 points respectively, although each struggled with their shooting at times.  The NDC backcourt tandem combined to shoot just 16 of 41 (39.0) from the field and four of 10 from the line.

McFarlane added 18 points for NDC, while collecting a team high 11 rebounds and five blocked shots.  Bowden added 12 points and nine rebounds, pulling in six boards on the offensive glass.

Busch led Ohio Dominican with 21 points.  Junior forward Bryan West (Jr/Coshocton, OH) notched 18 points and 12 rebounds.

Notre Dame will continue their season Saturday, Nov. 10, when they host Urbana.  Tip-off at NDC’s Murphy Gymnasium is slated for 4:00pm. 

Notes from the Nest…

21-point salute:  Pierce’s 21 points give him 1,685 for his career.  The Falcons’ veteran playmaker ranks second on the all-time NDC scoring list.  He needs 144 points to pass Dave Hilborn (2001-05), who scored 1,828 points in his four-year career on College Road.  Pierce averaged 20.0 points per game last season as a junior as was a First Team All-AMC North honoree.

Off target:  NDC shot just 36.9 percent (31-for-84) for the game, while ODU connected for 50.0 percent (32-for-64).  The Falcons also struggled from the charity stripe, where they hit just nine of 19 attempts (47.4 percent).

Bench bunch:  ODU’s bench, led by Joe Schmall’s (Sr/Columbus, OH) 12 points, outscored NDC’s bench 17-3.  Seven Falcons reserves combined to shoot just 1-for-12 (8.3 percent) from the floor.