Concord Stats -
West Liberty Stats -
Wheeling Stats -
Live Stats -
Live Audio -
Live Video -
Complete Game Notes
ATHENS, W.Va. - After a near month layoff from Mountain East Conference action, the Concord University men's basketball team welcomes West Liberty to Athens 7:30 p.m. Wednesday before heading to Wheeling 4:00 p.m. Saturday in a pair of conference games.
LIVE COVERAGE
Audio: Jason Reed and
Steve Cox will have live radio play-by-play of Wednesday's contest on 94.5 "Willie" FM and streaming online at www.mywillie.com
Stats: The Concord University and Wheeling University Sports Information Departments will provide live in-game statistics of each game.
Video: Live streaming video of both games will be available courtesy of the sports information departments.
RECORDS
Concord starts the week with marks of 4-7 overall and 2-4 in the MEC.
West Liberty is 9-3 on the year and sports a conference record of 4-2.
The Cardinals come into the week with a record of 6-3 overall and are 3-3 versus MEC foes.
STRINGING STOPS TOGETHER
In a 62-58 setback versus Frostburg State prior to the Christmas break, Concord limited the Bobcats to 37.1 percent shooting (23-for-62) from the floor. It was the lowest mark of the season for a CU opponent, and the first time in 2019-20 that the Mountain Lions held a team below 40 percent from the field. Concord had not held a team below 40 percent shooting since last year's regular-season finale at UVa.-Wise when the Cavaliers shot just 38.1 percent. CU is ranked fifth in the MEC in field-goal defense (45.6 percent), but will be tested by both West Liberty and Wheeling as both shoot 50 percent from the floor.
BALANCING ACT
In eight of 11 games this season, the Mountain Lions have had four or more players score in double figures for that particular game including four posting 10 or more points against Frostburg State. Additionally, four players have led CU in scoring this season. Freshman guard
Ethan Heller and junior guard/forward
Malik Johnson have each led Concord in scoring four times. Senior guard
Trey Brisco has posted the team high in scoring three times while senior guard
Martin Kelly Jr. tied Brisco's team-best 25 points at West Virginia State in late November. The quartet of players are averaging 52.2 points per game. Eight of the 12 teams in the MEC, including Concord, have four or more players averaging double figures this season.
BOARD IT UP
For the fifth time this season, Concord won the rebounding battle as it held a 40-34 advantage against Frostburg State. The rebounding effort was aided by junior forward
David Bea Mulumba pulling down a season-best 10 rebounds for his fourth career double-digit rebounding game. Kelly Jr. added eight boards in the contest. The Mountain Lions' +1.5 rebounding margin this season is third in the MEC as CU is sandwiched between this week's opponents, West Liberty and Wheeling. WLU sports a rebounding margin of +8.8 while the Cardinals sit at +1.2. In three games with West Liberty last season, the rebounding margin swung dramatically for each team. Concord outrebounded the Hilltoppers 36-23 on the road, but WLU had rebounding margins of +16 and +18 in the other two meetings. CU held a 42-37 rebounding advantage at Wheeling, including Mulumba grabbing 10. At the Carter Center, WU had a 36-35 edge on Concord.
SEEING A TREND
In a win over Notre Dame on December 14, Concord shot 50.8 percent (30-for-52), but in the two MEC games since the Mountain Lions have shot 42.8 percent and 30.5 percent against Fairmont State and Frostburg State. However, Concord has shot 45 percent of better from the floor in five of the last six meetings with West Liberty dating back to a 107-104 upset win over the then number-two nationally-ranked Hilltoppers at the Carter Center in February 2017. Although West Liberty enters this week just outside the Division II Top 25, the three games with the traditionally, nationally-ranked Hilltoppers were decided by a total of nine points last season, including a 110-106 win for WLU in Athens. Johnson averaged 12 points per game last season versus West Liberty.
CONTRASTING STYLES
Concord will see two completely different paces of play this week when it faces off with West Liberty and Wheeling. CU will have to defend the three-point line versus the Hilltoppers who have attempted the second-most three-pointers in the league (329). WLU is second in the nation in scoring at 103.8 points per game. The Mountain Lions are allowing the fifth-fewest points in the MEC (80.3). On the flip side, Wheeling is more methodical as the Cardinals are one of two teams in the MEC to have yet attempted 200 three-pointers this season. WU is ninth in the MEC in scoring at 77.0. Despite a huge swing in styles, both teams from the state's northern panhandle shoots better than 50 percent from the floor. And both rank among the top 20 in Division II in field-goal percentage.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
2- Mulumba had one of his two career double-doubles in last season's 88-68 win at Wheeling.
8- Years since CU won its first game back from Christmas break, an 87-84 win against WVU Tech during the 2011-12 season.
20- Number of combined three-pointers Concord (8.3) and West Liberty (11.9) make per game.
WEST LIBERTY AT A GLANCE
Preseason All-American Dalton Bolon is averaging 18.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game while shooting 47 percent from three-point range (31-for-66). Reigning MEC Freshman of the Year Will Yoakum is tossing in 15.6 points per game. Transfers Pat Robinson (Holy Family) and Preston Boswell (Wheeling) are averaging 17.7 points and 10.8 points per game, respectively. West Liberty's 13.4 steals per game are the best in Division II, and its +8.3 turnover margin is second among Division II schools. Since losing to Charleston December 11, WLU has won three straight games by 120 combined points.
WHEELING AT A GLANCE
Wheeling is under the direction of first year head coach Will Ryan, the son of legendary Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan. Like Concord and West Liberty, the Cardinals are well balanced with four players averaging double figures including one of the MEC's best big men in Emmanuel Ansong. He is averaging 16.2 points and 7.7 rebounds per contest. Jordan Reid is just behind at 16.1 points per game. Jarett Haines (14.9 points) and Jay Gentry (12.6 points) round out the double-digit scorers. The Cardinals are 4-1 at home this season with the lone loss coming last time out against Charleston. Three of the four home victories have come by double digits.
