MEN'S BASKETBALL: TROJAN HOARSE

CU OVERCOMES LOUD CROWD TO WIN AT VIRGINIA STATE

Corey Neeley Shot at VSU 1024 x 768
The Concord men's basketball team learned a couple things in their non-conference game at Virginia State on Tuesday night.

1. The Trojans' home court can get loud.  Very loud.  VSU's large pep band and energetic student turnout  can make Daniel Gymnasium a raucous place.

2. When in that situation, it's best to make your own noise.

The Mountain Lions used a first-half surge and a strong second half to quiet the crowd and subdue the Trojans, 94-78, raising CU's record to 3-2.

The contest featured four ties and four lead changes early, until freshman point guard Mike Boyd sank a three-point shot to put CU ahead 26-25 with 9:37 left in the 1st half.  Boyd's triple triggered a 14-3 rally that put the Mountain Lions ahead 37-28, and CU took a 50-43 lead into halftime.

Concord scored the first four points of the second half, and would methodically pull away to lead by as many as 22 points on two occasions, the last at 79-57 with 8:57 left.

The Mountain Lions shot a robust .548 from the field (34-62), including 8-16 from three-point range.  Another encouraging sign came from the free throw line, where Concord finished 18-21 (.857).  CU had shot just .604 from the line in its first four games.

Concord showed balance on offense, with eight players scoring at least six points and five reaching double figures.
Charles Brooks led the way with 21 points, 18 in the 2nd half.   Boyd and Javaughn Acree-Manuel scored 13 points apiece, with Cory Willard and Romel Kemp adding 11 points each.  Kemp also grabbed ten rebounds to post a double-double.

Division I transfer Kenny Mitchell topped Virginia State with 22 points.


Concord and Virginia State will meet again on Monday, December 19 at the Carter Center in Athens.  Fans can receive free admission to that game with a donation to a food drive being conducted by CU's Student Athlete Advisory Committee. 

Up next for Concord is a return to the conference schedule, with a visit to WVIAC rival Seton Hill on Saturday, December 3.  Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 pm in Greensburg, PA.


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