Concord Stats -
Wheeling Stats -
Live Stats -
Live Video -
Complete Game Notes
ATHENS, W.Va. - Fresh off a 76-53 win over Frostburg State Saturday afternoon at the Carter Center, the Concord University women's basketball team embarks on a road trip in Mountain East Conference play with a game at Wheeling 5:00 p.m. Monday at the McDonough Center.
LIVE COVERAGE
Stats: The Wheeling Sports Information Department will provide live in-game statistics of the contest.Â
Video: Live streaming video is also available for the game on Monday.Â
RECORDS
After Saturday's win, the Mountain Lions are 4-3 this season.
Wheeling also got its fourth win of the season to improve to 4-2, but went down to the wire in a 104-99 win against West Virginia State.
FROM DOWNTOWN
Usually a team that relies on points in the paint, Concord used the three-pointer to ease past Frostburg State. Fueled by a career-high 16 points from sophomore guard Jazz Blankenship off the bench, the Mountain Lions knocked in a season-best 12 three-pointers, including four from Blankenship. Junior guards Maggie Guynn and Gracie Robinson each tallied two triples in the game while senior guard Keely Lundy inched closer to 100 career three-pointers as she hit her 98th career triple in the win. The 12 three-pointers were the most for CU since January 2018 at Salem when it also had 12 triples. Before going 12-for-23 from three-point range on Saturday, Concord had only made 21 three-pointers in the first six games of 2021.
SWAT TEAM
On Saturday, senior forward Riley Fitzwater became the only active player in any division of women's college basketball with 1,000 career points, 1,000 career rebounds and 400 career blocks as she blocked six shots versus Frostburg State. The Glenville, West Virginia native now has 405 career blocks which are the most for a Division II player since former Fort Hays State standout Kate Lehman had 515 blocks from 2011-2015. Fitzwater's six-block performance was the 75th time in her career she recorded three or more blocks in a game. Additionally, Fitzwater also went over 1,100 career rebounds against FSU which is the active lead for women's college basketball with 1,104. Natalie Kucowski of Division I Lafayette sits at 1,099 rebounds after Saturday's games.
FINDING THE GROOVE
After starting the season with games of 52 and 49 percent shooting, Concord fell under 45 percent in three of the next four games. However, the Maroon and Gray hit a season-best 52.7 percent (29-for-55) of its shots against Frostburg State. Blankenship's 6-for-8 from the floor was a big reason for the hot shooting, but Fitzwater hit 7-of-11 shots for her 17 points. Additionally, Concord's two point guards, starter Gracie Robinson and back-up Ashton Funderburg combined to go 4-for-5 from the floor. Since starting the season 3-for-13 from the field, Robinson is 7-of-15 over the last two games, and has handed out nine assists in that stretch. Robinson is rounding into form ahead of the Wheeling road matchup, where last year the Wytheville, Virginia native recorded her only career double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds.
NO THREE D
The Mountain Lions have one of the best field-goal percentage defenses in Division II as they rank 16th in field-goal percentage at 33.4 after holding Frostburg State to 32.4 percent on Saturday. No team has shot higher than 37 percent on Concord this season—Charleston and West Virginia Wesleyan both shot 37.3 percent. On Saturday, CU was not only stingy on overall field goal percentage, but also held the Bobcats without a made three-pointer in the contest as Frostburg State was 0-for-11. It was the fourth instance this season in the MEC that a team has been held without a three-point make. The only team to shoot better than 35 percent from three-point range against Concord this season was Charleston (39.1 percent / 9-for-23) in the season opener.
DIFFERENT NIGHT, DIFFERENT GAME
The two meetings between Concord and Wheeling last season could not have been more opposite. Wheeling grinded out a 64-58 win at home as the Cardinals limited the Mountain Lions to 36.2 percent shooting and forced 18 turnovers. Robinson posted her aforementioned double-double on 5-of-10 shooting. Fitzwater added her own double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds. Wheeling shot 42.9 percent—just one of seven times last season a team shot 40 percent or better on Concord—as Lilly Ritz had 14 points and 17 rebounds. At home, CU rolled to an 88-51 win. Fitzwater went for 23 points and 17 rebounds. Lundy added a career-best 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting as Concord shot 55.2 percent as a team. Guynn averaged 13.5 points in two games versus the Cardinals last season.
BIG GAME, BIG PEOPLE
On Monday two of the best post players not only in the MEC, but in Division II meet when Fitzwater goes up against Ritz. Fitzwater is fifth in the MEC in scoring at 20.4 points per game with Ritz in fourth at 22.2 points per game. Fitzwater is averaging right at her career average in rebounds, 11.6, Â in 2021 while Ritz is plucking down 18.8 rebounds per game. Ritz is vying to average 20 points and 15 rebounds per game for a second-straight season. Last season against Wheeling, Fitzwater had nine combined blocks to go along with two double-doubles. Additionally, seven of Fitzwater's nine blocks were on shot attempts by Ritz. Meanwhile, Ritz also had two double-doubles last season, but only two of her 12 blocks were on Fitzwater.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
+3.5- Both Concord and Wheeling have the same rebounding margin for the season.
4- Guynn has scored in double figures in all four career games against the Cardinals.
23- Saturday's margin of victory was the largest for CU since last February's 103-77 win over West Virginia State.
WHEELING AT A GLANCE
While Ritz steals a lot of headlines for the Cardinals, Shanley Woods is one of the best freshmen in the MEC. In the win over West Virginia State on Saturday, Woods knocked down six three-pointers and poured in 22 total points. Just ahead of Woods' 13.3 points per game is Maura Castelluci who adds 15.3 points per game. Emily Holzopfel rounds out the double-figure scorers with 10.3 points per game. Two years removed from a 4-24 season, the Cardinals have already matched that win total this season after an 11-19 campaign last season. The Cardinals are scoring 80.2 points per game, but are giving up 84.7 points per game. Wheeling has allowed at least 75 points in four of six games.
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