ATHENS, W.Va. – Despite leading for over half the game, the Concord University men's basketball team could not hold off a late charge from Wheeling Jesuit Thursday night in Mountain East Conference play at the Carter Center.
After two free throws by junior guard
Tommy Bolte to tie the game at 54-54 with 7:55 remaining, WJU (12-2, 8-1 MEC) grabbed the lead over the next seven minutes before Bolte made two more foul shot to tie the game, then give Concord (8-6, 5-4 MEC) a 66-65 edge with 42 seconds remaining.
But, Wheeling Jesuit's Pat Moseh had an answer as he sunk a free-throw line jumper to push the Cardinals back out front 67-66 with 31 seconds left.
The Mountain Lions were unable to trade buckets, forcing them to foul. WJU made just one free throw, leaving the door open for Concord to tie the game down 68-66 with 16 seconds left. However, Concord turned the ball over with six seconds left, and Wheeling Jesuit made one more free throw to extend the lead to three. CU marched to the charity stripe where it could not get a three-point trip to tie the game with less than a second remaining.
Concord built a seven-point halftime lead after senior guard
B.J. Hamlet sank a three-pointer with 13 seconds remaining until the intermission. The Mountain Lions also led by the same margin for its biggest lead in the second half, 50-43, after a layup by freshman forward
Antonio Patterson.
Bolte led all scorers with 23 points while also dishing out six assists. Hamlet added 17 points, and Patterson finished in double figures for a third straight game with 13 points.
Sophomore forward
Trey Brisco added seven points and seven rebounds. Freshman forward
Jyles Webster collected a team-best eight rebounds.
The Mountain Lions welcome the third-ranked team in the nation, West Liberty, to the Carter Center 3:00 p.m. Saturday.
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