Concord Begins Four-Game Road Trip at Shepherd, Fairmont State

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ATHENS, W.Va. - The Concord University men's basketball will start 2016 with four straight road games. CU travels to Shepherd 7:30 p.m. Monday before visiting nationally-ranked Fairmont State 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. The Mountain Lions enter the new year with a record of 8-2 overall and 3-1 in the Mountain East Conference. Shepherd is 5-5 overall and 0-4 in the league. Meanwhile, FSU is 9-1 overall and 3-1 against conference foes.

LIVE COVERAGE
The Shepherd University and Fairmont State University Sports Information Departments will provide live in-game statistics and live video for both games. To access the live coverage options, follow the links at the top of the page or click here.

MOUNTAIN LION NOTES
• CU travels to Shepherd 7:30 p.m. Monday before visiting nationally-ranked Fairmont State 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

• The Mountain Lions enter the new year with a record of 8-2 overall and 3-1 in the Mountain East Conference. Shepherd is 5-5 overall and 0-4 in the league. Meanwhile, FSU is 9-1 overall and 3-1 against conference foes.

• During the 2014-15 season, Concord swept Shepherd and Fairmont State, going 4-0 against the teams.

• CU defeated Fairmont State 94-91 at home and 95-82 on the road.

• Likewise, the Maroon and Gray downed the Rams at home 80-74 and downed Shepherd 62-53 in the Eastern Panhandle.

• Additionally, Concord shot 60 percent or better from the field three times last season and two of them came against Fairmont State. In two games versus FSU last season, junior guard Aaron Miller shot a combined 17-for-22 from the field (77.2 percent).

• When Concord tips off against the Rams Monday night, Miller will be a little less than 50 miles from his hometown of Stephens City, Virginia.

• Miller seems to enjoy playing a team he grew up near. In his last three games versus SU, Miller is averaging 25 points per game including scoring a career-high 35 points Jan. 12, 2014 against them.

• Additionally, Miller has canned 13 three-pointers in those three games, and the Stephens City, Virginia native has shot 60.4 percent (29-for-48) from the floor against the Rams in that stretch.

• CU enters the week of MEC play ranks fourth in the conference in rebounding margin (+5.0) behind the rebounding prowess of senior forward Terry Hopewell (11.3 rebounds per game) and senior forward Jametrius Wade (7.7 rebounds per game).

• When Concord outrebounds its opponent this season, CU is 8-0. However, when the Mountain Lions finished tied on the boards or get outrebounded they are 0-2.

• CU will own a decisive rebounding advantage as SU has a rebounding margin of -1.8 and Fairmont State is -3.1.

• Back to Concord's high-shooting percentage versus the Fighting Falcons.

• Seven current players have shot at least 60 percent from the field in a game against Fairmont State.

• All seven players did a season ago whether it be at the Carter Center or in north-central West Virginia.
 

PLAYER	DATE	FGM-FGA	PERCENTAGE	LOCATION
Babe Murphy	1/10/15	4-4	1.000	Athens, W.Va.
Aaron Miller	2/19/15	11-12	.916	Fairmont, W.Va.
Taylor Smith	2/19/15	3-4	.750	Fairmont, W.Va.
Rob Reed	1/10/15	6-9	.667	Athens, W.Va.
Terry Hopewell	1/10/15	5-8	.625	Athens, W.Va.
Aaron Miller	1/10/15	6-10	.600	Athens, W.Va.
Jametrius Wade	2/19/15	6-10	.600	Fairmont, W.Va.
B.J. Hamlet	2/19/15	6-10	.600	Fairmont, W.Va.

• As good as Concord was during the 2014-15, finishing the season 20-9, the Mountain Lions are ahead of last year's win total through 10 games.

• A season ago, the Maroon and Gray was 6-4 after 10 games and currently sit 8-2 after 10 contests in 2015-16.

• The Concord bench has played an integral part of the team's success this season.

• In particular over the last two games, freshman guard Tommy Bolte, Murphy and junior forward Stephen Thompson have all set season-high in points.

• The trio combined for 18 points on 8-for-11 shooting in CU's last game versus Bluefield State with Thompson leading the way with seven points.

SCOUTING SHEPHERD
• Although the Rams are 0-4 in the conference, they have played three of the top four teams in the league in West Liberty, WVWC and Wheeling Jesuit.

• Other than Wesleyan, Concord and Shepherd have both beaten one common opponent in Davis & Elkins.

• In fact, SU has beaten the Senators twice this season.

• Steffen Davis leads Shepherd in scoring at 17.3 points per game and is shooting 43.3 percent from three-point range (29-for-67).

SCOUTING FAIRMONT STATE
• The Fighting Falcons are ranked seventh by the NABC (National Association of Basketball Coaches) National Poll.

• FSU is one of two MEC teams ranked in the poll, joining West Liberty.

• Southern Miss transfer Matt Bingaya leads Fairmont State in scoring and rebounding with 19.7 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per game.

• Three other Falcons average double figures, Caleb Davis (10.9), WVU transfer Chase Connor (10.8) and Jamel Morris (10.7).

• FSU has the best turnover margin in the MEC (+6.1) while sporting the second-best scoring offense (94.1 points per game).

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
5- CU will be seeking to start 5-0 on the road for the first time under McBride. CU is 4-0 away from home this season.

74.4- Concord's free-throw percentage to start the season, up from 69.5 percent a season ago.

11- Concord ranks 10th nationally in three-pointers made per game with 11.