SALEM, W.Va. – The Concord University men's basketball team drained a season-high 16 three-pointers on its way to a 93-76 win over Salem in the Joe Manchin Classic Sunday night inside Davis Gymnasium.
Both teams started slow from the field as the Mountain Lions (8-2) carried a 7-6 lead through five minutes of play after a layup from junior guard
Jair Rodgers. Salem (7-4) did not allow Concord to pull away until CU separated itself with a 7-0 run to take a 32-25 lead with 5:15 remaining in the first half. Senior guard
Tommy Bolte and sophomore forward
David Bea Mulumba each hit a three-pointer in the quick burst.
SU cut into the Mountain Lions' lead, but Concord held a 42-38 advantage at halftime.
Four of the first five made field goals for CU to start the second half were three-pointers as It took a 62-50 lead on a triple from sophomore guard/forward
Malik Johnson at the 13:17 mark. After a Rodgers' layup, the Mountain Lions connected on three more triples to run their advantage to 73-59 with under nine minutes to go.
The second-half lead grew to as much as 21 points, 93-72, after two made free throws from junior forward
Trey Brisco before CU settled for the 17-point win.
Bolte and Rodgers combined for 10 of the 16 made three-pointers. Brisco, Johnson and Mulumba hit the remaining six. Bolte finished 5-of-7 from behind the arc and 11-of-17 overall to net 35 points to go along with 12 assists, his second double-double in the last five games.
The 12 assists were a career high for the Chillicothe, Ohio native.
Rodgers added 26 points and six rebounds. Johnson tossed in 11 points as he shot 4-for-5 from the floor. Junior forward
Simun Kovac grabbed 12 rebounds.
The Mountain Lions shot 50 percent (29-for-58) from the floor for a second straight game. CU finished 16-for-35 from three-point range (45.7 percent).
Concord resumes Mountain East Conference play when it welcomes West Virginia Wesleyan to the Carter Center 4:00 p.m. Saturday.
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