Concord Stats -
West Liberty Stats -
Live Audio -
Live Stats -
Live Video -
Complete Game Notes
ATHENS, W.Va. - The Concord University men's basketball team plays in the Mountain East Conference Tournament Semifinals for the second time in as many years when it takes on West Liberty 6:00 p.m. Saturday in Wheeling, West Virginia at WesBanco Arena.
LIVE COVERAGE
Audio: Jason Reed and
Steve Cox will have live radio coverage of the game on 94.5 "Willie" FM or online at www.mywillie.com
Stats: The Mountain East Conference is providing live statistics for all games throughout postseason play.
Video: WVMetronews in conjunction with the MEC is streaming all games at the MEC Tournament.
RECORDS
The Mountain Lions advance to the final four of the conference tournament after knocking off Charleston, 76-62, and pushing their record to 20-9.
West Liberty is 25-3 after defeating Wheeling Jesuit 100-79.
DOWN TO THE NITTY GRITTY
CU and West Liberty are the only two teams to return to the MEC Tournament Semifinals from last year's group of four teams. It also marks the first time since 1997 and 1998 that Concord has advanced to consecutive semifinal rounds at the league postseason tournament. Additionally, the Mountain Lions move onto semifinal Saturday for the third time in four years, something that hadn't been accomplished since 1995 through 1998.
HAVE A NIGHT
Senior guard
Tommy Bolte and junior guard
Jair Rodgers have combined for 49 points a game this season on average, but the duo was held in check for 26 combined points against Charleston. Junior forward
Trey Brisco and sophomore guard/forward
Malik Johnson each netted 21 points in the UC victory as each went 8-for-11 from the floor. Brisco and Johnson both recorded four three-pointers and combined for eight of Concord's 11 three-pointers in the game. For Brisco, it was a season high in points and just his second career 20-point game, joining the 29 points he posted in November 2017 at Urbana. Meanwhile, Johnson went for a career-high 21 points, also marking his second career 20-point game. The first one came in November 2018 as Johnson went for 20 points against Charleston. On the defensive end, Brisco was also able to lock down UC's Drew Rackley to seven points on 3-for-16 shooting. Rackley was averaging over 20 points per game heading into the MEC Tournament.
RAINING IN TRIPLES
Even though Concord took its second fewest attempts from three-point range this season—17—in the win over Charleston, CU connected on 11 of those tries. For the game, the Mountain Lions shot 64.7 percent from three-point range. It marked the fifth time this season the Maroon and Gray has shot at least 50 percent from three-point range, and it's also the second-highest mark by an MEC team this season. Earlier this season, West Liberty came to Concord and hit on 68.2 percent (15-of-22) of its three-point attempts, including staring the game 13-for-15. West Liberty is the only team in the MEC making 40 percent or better from three-point range as it shoots 43.3 percent. The Mountain Lions are fourth at 37.7 percent from beyond the arc.
NAIL BITERS
Dating back to 2015, seven of the last 11 meetings between Concord and West Liberty have been decided by nine points or less including CU narrowly falling by four points at home this season and one point at WLU in double overtime. In the 109-108 setback on the road, the Mountain Lions and the Hilltoppers traded the lead 21 times and were tied 15 times. Over his last five games versus West Liberty, Bolte is averaging 28.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. Additionally, at West Liberty earlier this season he had a career-best five steals.
HANDLING THE PRESSURE
Even though the MEC Tournament is at a neutral site in WesBanco Arena, the Mountain Lions will enter into a partisan crowd Saturday night. West Liberty's campus is only 12 miles from the downtown Wheeling, West Virginia arena. WLU's game with Wheeling Jesuit Friday drew over 2,800 people with most wearing Hilltopper Black and Gold. However, CU has embraced hostile environment this season as it is 13-4 away from the Carter Center including 3-0 in neutral site games.
BRINGING BACK AN OLD MEMORY
Saturday marks the second time in four seasons Concord and West Liberty have met in the MEC Semifinals. In 2016, CU's
Rob Reed hit a corner jump shot to steer the Mountain Lions past West Liberty 92-90 in double overtime at the Charleston Civic Center. That game was very reminiscent of the January meeting between the two teams. In March 2016, the teams traded the lead 17 times and were tied 11 more times. The only current two players for either side to play in that instant classic three years ago were Bolte and WLU's Brady Arnold. Current Hilltoppers assistant coach Mike Lamberti started and played 37 of 50 minutes that March night as he had 14 points and 11 rebounds. And CU head coach
Todd May was an assistant coach in the contest.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
6- Consecutive games Concord has held the opponent at or below 45 percent from three-point range.
21- Career high in points for sophomore forward
David Bea Mulumba in January versus WLU.
54.1- CU's second-half and overtime shooting percentage against the Hilltoppers this season.
WEST LIBERTY AT A GLANCE
WLU sank 15 three-pointers on its way to the easy win over Wheeling Jesuit in the MEC Quarterfinals. West Liberty had just four players in double figures against WJU led by Yahel Hill's 18 points, but nine Hilltoppers scored at least six points in the contest. West Liberty is second in the MEC in steals per game at 7.8 with Luke Dyer leading the way at 1.9 per contest. First Team All-MEC selection Dalton Bolon is averaging 21.2 points per game despite having an eyepatch covering one eye due to an injury. MEC Freshman of the Year Will Yoakum is the second leading scorer for the Hilltoppers at 14.5 points per game. Senior big man Eric Meininger, who joined Bolon on the All-MEC First Team, does a little bit over everything, averaging 13.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists per contest.
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