SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio – Notre Dame defeated Rio Grande Saturday, 109-84, to rebound from a three-game losing streak.  The bounce-back win for the Falcons featured senior point guard Jerome Pierce (Toledo, OH) connecting for 19 points and assuming the top spot on the NDC career scoring list.

Pierce came into the game needing 19 points to pass Dave Hilborn (2001-05), which he accomplished late in the game. Although the senior point guard was the focus of the afternoon, the Falcons controlled the tempo early thanks to a player at the other end of the experience spectrum.

Freshman guard Eric Maag (Columbus Grove, OH) jump-started Notre Dame (3-4) in the first half.  Maag connected for 13 points in the opening seven minutes of the game.  Maag hit on five of his first seven attempts, including three treys, and the Falcons, as a team shot 57.1 percent (12-for-21) in the first 10 minutes of the opening half.

Keith Bowden (Sr/Akron, OH) and Kyle Miller (Jr/Piketon, OH) also provided a spark for NDC in the first, each creating quality scoring opportunities with crisp passing and solid defense.

Pierce, after missing his first four attempts from the floor, connected for his first points of the game at 6:11 when he dropped a pair of tosses from the charity stripe to give the Falcons a 39-27 lead.

Notre Dame shot 55.3 percent (21-for-38) in opening a 57-41 halftime lead over Rio Grande (2-5).  Maag and Miller each finished the first frame with 13 points to lead the Falcons.  Pierce added 11, matching Maag’s three treys with three of his own in the closing minutes of the half.  NDC’s 57 first-half points marks a new season-high for the team.

In the second stanza, the Redmen cut the Falcons’ lead to 10 by the 17-minute mark with an 11-5 run.  NDC answered with a pair of Kyle Miller baskets and then a spinner in the lane by sophomore center Karim McFarlane (Portmore, Jamaica) at 12:30.

Junior forward Dan Jones (Niles, OH) connected on 3-point play at 10:19 to give NDC a 78-56 lead.  Jones poured in a season-high 20 for the game, and the Falcons maintained a 20-point lead throughout most of the half.

Pierce’s moment came at 2:07, when he drilled the back half of a pair of free throws to post his 1,829th career point.  There was a stoppage of play, allowing the NDC home crowd to pay tribute to their new all-time scoring leader.  Pierce was met by his teammates in an emotional celebration at mid-court, which was followed by a presentation of a game ball from Head Coach Kevin Bille and the previous record-holder, Hilborn.

“That was a great moment for Jerome, to have that happen at home,” said Bille, who has been Pierce’s head coach for all three-plus years of his NDC career.  He’s a great player, and he’s helped advance our program a great deal in his time here.  I also want to thank Dave for being here – it was a classy gesture from a guy who was a terrific player in his own right.”

The Falcons ran out the clock after the Pierce record-breaking free throw tosses and finished in triple digits for the second time this season.  Pierce added six assists and seven rebounds to his 19-point afternoon.  The Falcons were led by Kyle Miller, who had a 21/6/5 game (P/R/A).  Pierce’s second assist of the game was another milestone for the 5-foot-8 playmaker from Toledo – it was the 400th of his career.  He is the program’s all-time leader in that category as well.

Will Norwell (Jr/Cincinnati, OH) scored 23 points and added six rebounds to pace Rio Grande.  The Redmen failed to convert on 15 free throws in the game, shooting 51.6 percent (16-for-31) from the line.  They shot 44.6 percent (30-for-68) from the field.

The Falcons, on the other hand, helped themselves at the line. In addition to his record-breaking 15-footer, Pierce added seven others in posting and 8-for-8 night from the line.  Dan Jones was 9-for-9, and the team as a whole was 21 for 24 (87.5 percent).  The Falcons shot 54.2 percent (39-for-72) from the field. 

Karim McFarlane swatted away five Redmen field goal attempts. He leads the team this season, with 17.

For Pierce, though he waited until 38 minutes into the game to score the record-breaking basket, the 1,829 points have come in a hurry; Saturday was Pierce’s 97th career game, meaning he broke the record in 15 fewer games than Hilborn (112).

The Falcons new point king has also authored the five highest-scoring games in NDC history, with his top performance (46 points) posted in the 2005-06 season.  He has more 30-point games (nine) than any player in program history, and he has made three consecutive All-AMC North Teams.

Notre Dame's next game is slated for Tuesday, Dec. 4, when they travel to Lima to take on the Northwestern Ohio Racers. Tip off is scheduled for 7:30pm.