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Carney, Hunter spark win in return to The Murph
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SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio – Notre Dame returned to their home hardwood Wednesday for the first time in over six weeks, and their homecoming brought an 89-72 win over Roberts Wesleyan College (NY).  The Falcons shot the ball well in notching their most points in a game since Dec. 19 (91-62 win over Knox-IL).

Junior guard Ashley Carney (Solon, OH) ignited the Falcons’ offense in the opening moments of the game.  Carney hit on five of her first seven attempts from the field, as Notre Dame (12-3, 3-0) opened a 30-22 lead by the 8:35 mark.  The Falcons’ veteran guard would go on to score 21 first half points.

Roberts Wesleyan (8-7, 1-1) rallied to tie the game at 34-34 at 4:50.  But Notre Dame went against their recent trend of poor first half shooting to go on and post 50 points in the half.  The Falcons led the Raiders, 50-47, at the break.  NDC shot 58.3 percent (21-for-36) in the opening period.

The Blue & Gold started the second with a decisive 17-3 run to take a 67-50 lead by the 13-minute mark.  Carney and freshman center Yvette Hunter (Jamestown, NY) keyed the surge, as a strong NDC passing game opened up several scoring chances in the lane.

When Carney hit a runner in the lane off an Amanda Brown (So/Vienna, VA) offensive board at 7:38, the Falcons took a 75-58 lead.    The Falcons continued to find the bottom of the net in the second; NDC shot 52.9 percent (18-for-34) in the second stanza. 

The Falcons’ game play against RWC was reminiscent of their early season offensive prowess, when the team spent the better part of a month ranked among the nation’s Top-10 in scoring.  After scoring 50 in the first frame, NDC scored 39 in the second to finish off Roberts, 89-72.

The Falcons held the Raiders to 25 second half points on 9-of-34 (26.5 percent) shooting. At the other end of the court, Notre Dame shot 55.7 percent (39-for-70) for the game.  The Falcons had two twenty game scorers (Carney, 27, and Hunter, 25) and four players finish in double-figures.  Hunter scored her 25 points on 11-of-14 shooting.

Junior guard Molly Baker (Avon Lake, OH) added 12 or the Falcons.  Newcomer Kate Verhoff (North Canton, OH) scored 10.  Carney led NDC in passing; she dished out eight of the Falcons’ 21 assists.

Senior forward Erin Farney (Ovid, NY) led the Raiders with 18 points and eight rebounds.  The Raiders out-rebounded the Falcons, 41-32.

The game between the Falcons and Raiders was taped for broadcast by SportsTime Ohio, which will air the game Thursday at 2:00pm. Three more NDC Women's games will also be aired on STO.

Wednesday's game at Murphy Gymnasium marked a return to College Road for the Falcons, whose previous seven games were on the road. NDC's last home game before Wednesday's tilt against RWC was Dec. 1. Notre Dame's home game against Roberts marks the opening of a five-game home stand.

The Falcons will continue their home stand Saturday, Jan. 19 when they host Houghton College (NY). The tip between the Falcons and Highlanders is scheduled for 2:00pm.

NOTES FROM THE NEST...

WOMAN OF STEAL:  Molly Baker picked up five steals Wednesday night against Roberts.  The junior forward now has 41 steals this season.  She came into Wednesday’s game ranked third in the AMC with an average of 2.6 thefts per game.  As a team, Notre Dame ranks second in the circuit with 12.6 steals per game.

DYNAMIC DUO: Ashley Carney and Yvette Hunter scored 27 and 25 points, respectively, against RWC. That marks the third time this season the Falcons have had two players score 20-plus poinst in the same game. Carney has been half of all three combinations. The junior guard leads NDC in scoring with an average of 17.1 points per game. Wednesday marked the sixth time this season Carney has scored 20 or more points.