Glass half-empty
Second half sinks NDC at Malone
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CANTON, Ohio – Notre Dame had its eight-game winning streak snapped at Malone College Saturday in disappointing fashion. The Falcons came out firing on all cylinders in the first half of the American Mideast Conference (AMC) road tilt, only to stall in the second and see a 10-point lead slip away. The Pioneers eventually caught the Falcons and wound up with a 76-70 victory.

The loss is Notre Dame's first in AMC North Division play - it runs the Falcons' division record to 7-1. Malone, playing Notre Dame for the first time in seven years, evens their North mark at 4-4 with the home court win at Osborne Hall.

Notre Dame (17-4, 7-1) opened a 44-34 lead in the game's first period, shooting 56.3 percent (18-for-32). The high-water mark for the Falcons came at 1:45 in the first - after an Ashanti McLeod (Fr/Canton, OH) 3-pointer, NDC was up by 15 points, 44-29.

From that point forward, it was all low tide for Notre Dame. For nearly 15 minutes of game play (1:45 in the first to 6:58 in the second), Malone (6-14, 4-4) outscored NDC, 33-6. That stretch included a 14-1 run to start the second frame.

The Pioneers were paced by freshman guard Allyson Wilson (Akron, OH) in the second. Wilson tallied 13 points in the half and 19 for the game. She and the rest of the Pioneers presided over a 42-26 half in which the visiting Falcons vanished offensively.

NDC shot a meager 20.0 percent (7-for-34) in the second. They missed their first 13 shot attempts in the half.

"That was frustrating, to give away a game like that," said NDC Head Coach Dick Deasy. "A lot of those misses in the second, and even a few in the first, were on lay-ups. Between that and our girls committing a few dumb fouls, we really put ourselves in a hole. You can't do that, especially on the road."

With NDC in foul trouble, Malone scored a slew of easy baskets in the second stanza. The Pioneers outscored NDC in the paint, 24-8, in the second.

Senior guard Kellyn Murphy (Hartville, OH) stuffed the stat sheet for Malone. For the game, she scored 17 points. Murphy also contributed five rebounds, seven assists, and four steals.

The Falcons were led by junior guard Molly Baker (Avon Lake, OH), who scored 15 points while collecting nine boards. Sophomore guard Amanda Brown (Vienna, VA) added 12 points. Freshman center Yvette Hunter (Jamestown, NY) scored eight and pulled down a season-high 12 rebounds.

Notre Dame played the game without leading scorer Ashley Carney (Jr/Solon, OH), who was injured in NDC's last game at Ursuline (Jan. 29).

The loss ends NDC's eight game run without a loss. The streak is Notre Dame's longest since they rattled off a program-record from Dec. 2 to Jan. 11 in the 2004-04 season. The Falcons remain in second place in the North despite the loss. Division-leading Daemen College (NY) went into Saturday's action 8-0. Third place Roberts Wesleyan (NY) came in at 5-3 in the circuit.

The Falcons will look to start a new winning streak Tuesday, Feb. 5, when they host Point Park (PA). Tip-off in what is the first half of a women's-men's doubleheader is slated for 6:00pm.

NOTES FROM THE NEST...

FIFTH MAN: Kate Verhoff (So/Elyria, OH), who had been Dick Deasy's ace off the bench in their win streak, made her first start of the season Saturday in Canton. Verhoff, playing with an injured hand, struggled from the field. The transfer from Kent State was just 1-of-10 from the floor. She continued to contribute in other ways, however. She posted five rebounds and six assists. In seven games with NDC, Verhoff is averaging 7.4 points and 6.4 rebounds in 27.6 minutes per game.

MALONE, MALONE!: Saturday's game reconnected the Falcons and Pioneers after the two hadn't met in seven years. 2007-08 is Malone's first season in the North Division of the AMC. Before a realignment, the Pioneers had been a member of the AMC South. ... The last time the two teams met before Saturday was Nov. 10, 2001. NDC is now 4-27 all-time against Malone.

POST PARADE: The AMC basketball playoffs commence during the last week of Feb. with qualifiers vying for automatic bids to the upcoming NAIA Division II National Tournaments, the conference announced Thursday. The AMC women's structure has not changed with three automatic bids up for grabs. Two of those go to the regular season divisional champions (North and South), who earn spots in the AMC Championship Game on Mar. 1 at the site of the South winner. ... Finishers #2 through #5 in each division qualify for the eight-team AMC Tournament which will be played on Feb. 27, Mar. 1 and 4. The tournament champion earns the league’s third automatic bid. ... The 17th Annual NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball Tournament will be on March 12-18, 2008 at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa.