Falcons fall short
Comeback bid halted, 77-74
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ADRIAN, Mich. – Notre Dame lost to Siena Heights (MI) Saturday, 77-74, in a road test that featured a 21-point comeback from a 24-point Falcon deficit at halftime. Notre Dame (3-6) trailed SHU 45-21 at the break, after hitting just eight field goals in the first 20 minutes of play. The Falcons rebounded in the second, holding Siena Heights (5-6) to just seven field goals after halftime, but NDC's 53-point second half effort came up just short.

Senior guard Jerome Pierce (Toledo, OH) led the Falcons, scoring 15 points and adding six rebounds and three steals. Junior guard Kyle Miller (Piketon, OH) had a 14/6/4 (P/R/A) night, as the Falcons dropped the second of back-to-back road games; NDC has now lost five of their last six.

The Falcons spotted the Saints a 45-21 halftime advantage by shooting just 33.3 percent (8-for-24) in the first frame. SHU, meanwhile, shot 54.5 percent (18-for-33) from the field in the first. The Saints knocked down six 3-pointer in 18 attempts in the half; they attempted 30 treys for the game. At the other end of the court at the SHU Fieldhouse, NDC failed to connect on eight first-half shots from beyond the arc, and that's no accident - SHU ranks fourth in the nation in 3-point defense (27.6 percent accuracy).

Notre Dame's 21-point first half is their lowest first-half point total since Dec. 16, 2006, when they scored just 20 in a loss to Wilberforce.

In the second half, the Falcons shot better - from within and beyond the arc - and gradually got themselves back in the game. Notre Dame shot 48.6 percent (17-for-35) in the second stanza and connected of 5-of-11 from 3-point range.

The Saints, however, hit several clutch baskets late to preserve the win. SHU was led by sophomore guard Curtis Stephens (Detroit, MI), who scored 14 points. Junior center Brian Champine (Temperence, MI) added 11 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. The Saints' 6-foot-8 pivot also blocked seven shots.

For Notre Dame, four Falcons hit double figures in the scoring column - Pierce, Miller, Karim McFarlane (So/Portmore, Jamaica), and Jeff Johnson (Jr/Akron, OH). Johnson's 10, a personal season-high, came in 14 minutes of action on 4-of-5 shooting.

"This is a disappointing loss," said Head Coach Kevin Bille. "I am proud, however, of the way our guys didn't quit. We showed heart in battling back."

For the game, NDC shot 42.4 percent (25-for-59) from the field, 26.3 percent (5-for-19) from beyond the arc, and 70.4 percent (19-for-27) from the free throw line.

The Falcons will host the Holiday Inn Tournament at home next weekend, Dec. 14-15, for their next two games. Notre Dame will face St. Vincent (PA) in the tournament's first round, at 6:00pm on Friday.

Notes from the Nest...

Series: NDC is now 1-1 all-time against SHU. The Falcons beat the Saints a year ago in South Euclid, 101-82 (Dec. 16, 2006). The Saints are a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Division II program that competes in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference.

Tangled nets: Saturday's game marked just the second time this season NDC has been held under 75 points in a game. The Falcons came into the game ranked 19th in the nation in scoring (85.4 ppg).

Three strikes: NDC's five three's in the game against SHU is a season-low. The Falcons came into the game ranked in the top-30 in the nation in both 3-pointers made (8.4/g) and 3-point accuracy (39.8 pct.). Jerome Pierce ranks fifth in the country in made field goals from beyond the 3-point stripe (4.5/g).