Concord Plays California (Pa.), Salem at Joe Manchin Classic

Concord Stats - California (Pa.) Stats - Salem Stats - Live Stats - Live Video - Complete Game Notes

ATHENS, W.Va. - The Concord University men's basketball team plays two non-conference games when it takes on California (Pa.) 5:00 p.m. Saturday and Salem 7:00 p.m. Sunday at the Joe Manchin Classic at Salem University in Salem, West Virginia.

LIVE COVERAGE
Stats: The Salem University Sports Information Department will provide live in-game statistics for all games of the Manchin Classic.
Video: Live video will also be available from Salem throughout the Manchin Classic.

RECORDS
The Mountain Lions are on a four-game winning streak, sporting a record of 6-2 overall.

Cal (Pa.) is 1-5 this season.

Salem has gotten off to a 6-3 start in 2018-19.

GETTING BUCKETS
In CU's 101-97 win over Glenville State Wednesday night in a Mountain East Conference game, senior guard Tommy Bolte scored a season-high 39 points as he made 15 total field goals and hit a season-best five three-pointers. Over the last four games, Bolte has scored at least 26 points in each contest and is averaging 32.7 points during the stretch. Bolte has taken his season average in points from 24.6 to 28.5 in the last four games. The scoring outburst represents the best scoring streak for the Chillicothe, Ohio native since averaging 40 points in the final four games of the 2017-18 season. Additionally, Bolte has moved up to second in all of Division II in scoring this season.

DIFFERENT NIGHT, DIFFERENT GUY
Against Glenville State, sophomore guard/forward Malik Johnson posted his first career double-double as he tallied 11 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. It marked the second straight game that a CU player notched their first career double-double as sophomore forward David Bea Mulumba had 10 points and 12 rebounds at West Virginia State. Furthermore, Johnson becomes the fourth Concord player with a double-double this season. Bolte had 31 points and 10 assists versus Charleston while junior forward Trey Brisco recorded 17 points and 13 rebounds in a victory over Bluefield State. The Mountain Lions have had at least four players with double-doubles during the season in three of the last four campaigns.

THREE LAND
Concord tied its season high with 14 made three-pointers versus Glenville State as CU went 14-for-32 from beyond the arc. The Maroon and Gray  has connected on at least 10 three-pointers in five of eight games this season, and has also shot 40 percent or better from three-point distance in four of the last five games. As a team, the Mountain Lions are fifth in the MEC in three-point shooting at 37.7 percent. If the season ended today, it would be the best shooting percentage from three-point range for a CU team since the 2015-16 season. Additionally, Concord is one of six teams in the conference making 10 or more three pointers per game on average (10.2). Individually, junior guard Jair Rodgers has accounted for 34 of Concord's 80 makes from behind the arc, ranking him second in the MEC in made triples. The South Bend, Indiana native has made at least three three-pointers in four consecutive games. Rodgers is just outside the top five in the league in three-point percentage (sixth / 42.5 percent / 34-for-80). Bolte helped the recent three-point barrage by hitting on 5-of-9 attempts at Glenville State. Prior to Wednesday, Bolte was 11-for-38 from three-point range for the season.

CENTURY MARK
Wednesday marked the second time in the last three games Concord scored 100 or more points. It was the fourth time under head coach Todd May  that the Mountain Lions hit the century mark in points scored. Prior to this season, CU had done it just once in each of the first two seasons for May on the sidelines before accomplishing the feat against Charleston first then Glenville State. Concord is averaging 101 points in the last four games which is the highest average for points in a four-game stretch since January 18-28, 2016. Additionally, the 88.8 points per game that CU is averaging for the season is the highest average since the Mountain Lions were averaging 89.4 points per game on February 20, 2016.

ROAD WARRIORS
Concord improved to 4-1 in games away from the Carter Center with the victory over Glenville State. Over the last two seasons, the Mountain Lions are 14-7 in games not played at home. Dating back to the start of the 2014-15 season, CU is 42-29 in games either on the road or on a neutral court with 11 of those losses coming to teams ranked in the national poll. This weekend, the Maroon and Gray has a chance to win its fifth and sixth games away from the Carter Center. Last season, the Mountain Lions didn't win their fifth non-home game until January 20 with an overtime win over UVa.-Wise. The sixth such win came four days later with a victory over Glenville State.

IT'S BEEN A WHILE
While Concord will be playing California (Pa) for the first time in program history Saturday night, Sunday will mark the first time CU has played Salem in nearly nine years. The Mountain Lions matched up against the Tigers January 14, 2010 as Concord won 67-55. However, Salem owns the all-time series, 44-34. After not playing a PSAC school for five seasons, CU will be playing its third and final PSAC school of the 2018-19 season when it takes on Cal (Pa.). Earlier this year, the Mountain Lions defeated fellow PSAC school Pitt-Johnstown after losing to PSAC member Indiana (Pa.) to start the year.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
5-  Five of Concord's six wins have come with the Mountain Lions ahead at halftime.

8- Turnovers by CU in its win over Glenville State after having 35 combined in the two previous games.

94- Free-throw shooting percentage for Rodgers, third best in the MEC.

CALIFORNIA (PA.) AT A GLANCE
Long time Wheeling Jesuit head coach Danny Sancomb is in his first year in charge of the Vulcans program. Sancomb led the Cardinals to the 2018 MEC Tournament Championship before taking over at Cal. Making the move with Sancomb was WJU's starting point guard, Brent Pegram. In his first year as a Vulcan, Pegram is the leading scorer at 14.3 points per game. Cal has already lost to a pair of MEC teams this season, Fairmont State and Notre Dame.

SALEM AT A GLANCE
The Tigers are led by Shawn Christian who is averaging 18.2 points per game and is shooting 49.4 percent from three-point range (44-for-89). Salem is 3-0 at home this season including a season-opening win over Urbana, 78-72. SU has also faced a Concord mutual opponent, West Liberty, as Salem lost 127-101. Salem faces Kentucky State Saturday before Concord opposes the Tigers Sunday.