FAIRMONT, W.Va. – Isaiah Sanders matched his career-high with 26 points, and Fairmont State went 6-of-6 from the free throw line in the final minute to close out an 81-76 Mountain East Conference win over Notre Dame College on Wednesday evening at Dan Cava Court inside Joe Retton Arena.
 
With the win, Fairmont State improved to 17-5 overall and 12-5 in MEC play. NDC falls to 8-15 overall and 6-11 in the league.

In a game that had 14 lead changes, Notre Dame's Jordan Burton made a layup with 3:47 remaining in the game to help NDC take a 76-73 lead over Fairmont. A few possessions later Cole VonHandorf hit a jumper with 2:50 remaining to cut the lead to 76-75.
 
Isaiah Sanders drew a foul as the game entered the final minute and connected on two free throws with 59 seconds remaining to give the Falcons a 77-76 lead over Notre Dame. From that point, Fairmont State forced a turnover and NDC saw a pair of 3-pointers rim off, allowing the home-standing Falcons to push their lead to two possessions as time ticked away.
 
Fairmont State shot nearly 51 percent from the field and scored 27 points on the fast break during the victory. The Falcons also held a 42-34 scoring advantage in the paint.

Fairmont State was led by Isaiah Sanders who had 26 points and seven rebounds, while Kenzie Melko-Marshall added 18 points, four rebounds and three assists. VonHandorf scored 15 points and had three steals, while Dale Bonner tallied 11 points, eight rebounds and six assists. 

NDC was led by Drew Scarberry who posted a game-high 31 points to go with 11 rebounds. DeAnthony Owens also chipped in 18 points.
 
Notre Dame shot 48 percent from the field, but managed just 38 percent in the second half. NDC also held a 33-30 rebounding advantage.
 
Fairmont State will return to action on Saturday afternoon at Urbana. Tip is set for 4 p.m. at the Grimes Center.