BALTIMORE, MD - Notre Dame of Maryland turned in one of its most complete performances of the season on Saturday afternoon, rolling past Penn College 92–70 in the MBK Sports Complex to remain unbeaten in United East play. The home opener for the Gators comes after 14 straight away games to start the season and puts NDM on top of the United East Conference standings.
NDM used balance, pace and efficiency on the offensive end to improve to 9–6 overall and 3–0 in conference action, pulling away in the second half after taking a 41–32 lead into halftime.
The Gators opened the second half with a decisive run, stretching their lead to double digits within the first five minutes. Back-to-back baskets in transition and strong defensive pressure forced Penn College into turnovers, allowing Notre Dame to steadily build its advantage. A pair of three-pointers from Ross midway through the half pushed the lead to 16 and effectively put the game out of reach.
Notre Dame shot an impressive 55.9 percent from the floor for the game and controlled the tempo with transition offense, outscoring Penn College 31–14 in fast-break points. The Gators also dominated inside, finishing with a 50–14 advantage in points in the paint.
Ricardo Ross led the way with 17 points, knocking down three triples and adding four rebounds and two steals.
Anthony Wright followed with 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting, while
Jackson Pugh added 13 points and five assists.
Dylan Long chipped in 12 points and helped spark Notre Dame's transition attack with his activity on both ends.
Notre Dame's depth was on full display, as the bench accounted for 31 points.
Carlos Green scored 12 off the bench, while
Marlon Lewis was perfect from the field, finishing with 10 points and four rebounds in just 16 minutes.
Penn College was led by Octavio Alexander's 24 points, but Notre Dame's defensive pressure and efficiency proved too much to overcome.
NDM will head back on the road as they head south to Washington D.C. as they take on Gallaudet University on Wednesday, January 7 at 5 PM. This will be the first ever meeting between the two programs as the Bison come into the game with a 1-9 overall record and 0-2 in conference play with losses to St. Mary's and Rosemont.
