LA PLUME - Keystone used a blistering second half to pull away late as Notre Dame of Maryland fell 98–86 on Saturday afternoon at Ace Spalding Arena. NDM falls to 12-8 overall and 6-2 in conference play. 

The Gators trailed by five at the break and steadily widened the gap after halftime as the Gators shot 55 percent in the second half to keep Notre Dame from mounting a sustained comeback. Keystone pushed its lead to as many as 24 before the Gators trimmed the margin in the final minutes.

Marlon Lewis led Notre Dame with 22 points, attacking the paint throughout the afternoon and finishing 9-of-18 from the floor. Ricardo Ross added 16 points and knocked down a pair of three-pointers, while Carlos Green and Chandler Johnson combined for 23 points off the bench to provide a spark.

Notre Dame stayed within striking distance early, trading the lead eight times in a tightly contested first half. Ross and Lewis helped Notre Dame answer Keystone runs, including a stretch late in the half that cut the deficit to three.

Keystone used a big run early in the second half that pushed the lead into double figures. Notre Dame continued to battle at the free-throw line and in transition, scoring 23 fast-break points, but Keystone's efficiency, 56.7 percent shooting for the game, proved too much to overcome. The comeback suffered a further blow when Lewis was was ejected for his second technical foul of the contest late in the second half.

Jden Golding led all scorers with 24 points for Keystone, while Ahmodrion Jones and Niame Scott added 22 apiece.

Notre Dame finished the afternoon shooting 46 percent from the field and 79 percent at the line but was outscored 48–41 in the second half as Keystone pulled away down the stretch.

The Gators will return home to host Cairn University on Tuesday, January 27th for a 5 PM tip-off tine. The teams split a pair of regular seasons last year, with the Gators winning the latter 77-69.