ATHENS, W.Va. – A second half run by Notre Dame was the difference for the Concord University men's basketball team as it dropped a 95-87 decision to the Falcons Sunday afternoon at the Carter Center in Mountain East Conference play.
The Mountain Lions (5-8, 1-6 MEC) came out firing as they started the game on a 17-5 run that covered the first four minutes of the contest. The spurt was fueled by five three-pointers with senior guards
Aaron Miller and
Cam Shannon each nailing two and fellow senior guard
Michael Sanchez draining a shot from distance.
CU kept lead until Notre Dame (11-2, 5-2 MEC) grabbed a 32-31 edge with five minutes to play in the first half. The teams traded the lead over the final five minutes of the half before heading to the break tied at 40-40.
The Falcons answered Concord's first half run with a scoring spurt of their own to open the second half as NDC ran off a 32-12 run over the first eight minutes of the half. Down 20, the Mountain Lions chipped away the deficit and got to within seven, 81-74, after a three-pointer by junior guard
B.J. Hamlet with 4:41 left in the contest.
Two free throws by Shannon with 41 seconds remaining pulled CU to within six points, 93-87, but it was as close as the Mountain Lions would get despite NDC missing the front end of a bonus situation twice at the foul line in the final minute of play.
Miller tallied his second straight 20-point game as he poured in 22 points. Sanchez added 15 points with all 15 coming from three-point range. The Salinas, Puerto Rico native set a career-high in made three-pointers with five triples and now has 11 three-pointers in the last three games.
Shannon also finished in double figures with 12 points while junior forward
Babe Murphy added 10 points off the bench.
Freshman forward
Patrick Eugene grabbed 11 rebounds for his second straight double-digit rebounding contest.
NDC's Will Vorhees was the game's top scorer with 31 points. Meanwhile, Ja'Sean Lewis had a double-double for the Falcons of 16 rebounds and 10 assists.
The Mountain Lions finish off a four-game home stretch 7:30 p.m. Tuesday as they host Urbana.
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