Concord Begins Season Against Pitt-Johnstown, IUP

Concord Stats - Pitt-Johnstown Stats - IUP Stats - Live Stats - Complete Game Notes

ATHENS, W.Va. - The Concord University men's basketball team opens the season when it travels to Indiana (Pa.) for the IRMC/Hilton Garden Inn Classic to play Pitt-Johnstown 5:15 p.m. Friday and Indiana (Pa.) 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

LIVE COVERAGE
Stats: The Indiana (Pa.) Sports Information Department wil provide live in-game statistics of both contests this weekend. 

RECORDS
The Mountain Lions finished the abbreviated 2021 season with a record of 9-8.

Pitt-Johnstown did not play any games in 2021, but finished 2019-20 at 22-9, just missing the NCAA Tournament.

IUP is ranked 18^th in Division II to start the season. The Crimson Hawks only played three games last winter, but went 28-2 in 2019-20.

FINDING A WAY
Seven of the nine wins for the Mountain Lions last season were by nine points or less as Concord went 7-1 in games decided by three or fewer possessions. In the final home game of the season for the Maroon and Gray, CU grabbed a 107-100 double overtime win over Davis & Elkins. Junior guard Ethan Heller threw in 28 points to go with six rebounds and six assists in the MEC Tournament's Opening Round game. Senior guard Brandon Kennedy stroked in 14 points in the victory over Davis & Elkins. Also included in Concord's close wins last year was a 91-83 victory over then-nationally ranked number four West Liberty. In five of the seven wins by nine points or less, Concord shot the ball at a 45 percent clip or better.

THE CLOSER
After being hampered by injury during the early portion of the 17-game season, Heller returned to the Concord lineup for the final eight games and arguably played the best basketball of his career over that stretch. The Thornville, Ohio native averaged 20.5 points per contest in the final eight games of the season, including dropping in a career-high 33 points in a 96-81 road win at West Virginia State. Heller also dished out an average of 4.6 assists in the final eight games of the season, one full assist above his season average. Included in the assist tally was a career-best eight at WVSU.

ON THE DEFENSIVE
The Mountain Lions finished last season as the second best defensive team in the Mountain East Conference, allowing just 79.8 points per game. It was the best defensive season for Concord since allowing 74.6 points per game during the 2014-15 campaign. CU also limited opponents to 44.9 percent from the field which was the fourth-best field-goal percentage defense in the league. The defensive effort was led by Kennedy who was constantly assigned to the opponent's best perimeter scorer. Senior forward Da'Vion Moore was also a presence on the defensive end for the Mountain Lionsas he scooped up 3.9 rebounds per game. Both of Concord's opponents this weekend averaged over 80 points per game two seasons ago and shot 49 percent or better from the field.

MESHING TOGETHER
Though Concord returns the backcourt experience of Heller and Kennedy who have combined to play in 116 games with 76 starts between them, the Mountain Lions will be breaking in new faces in both the backcourt and front court. Fifth-year senior guard Matt Weir as well as junior guards Jaguar Jackson and Donte Scott will figure into the CU rotation after having not played or in the case of Jackson little experience last year. Last season, sophomore guard Jordan Wooden came off the bench in all 17 games and will take on an expanded role in 2021-22. In the front court, Concord returns Moore, but will need to replace the production of graduated big men, Liam Evans and David Bea Mulumba, who combined to average 18.3 points per game. On board for this year is fifth-year senior forward Lual Daniel Rahama and junior guard Jevon Laidler who will be leaned on to replace the production of Evans and Mulumba.

COMING OUT STRONG
This will be the third season the Mountain Lions begin the season at IUP. Two years, ago, in his first collegiate game, Heller dropped in 29 points on 11-fof-16 shooting in a 79-76 win for CU at Pitt-Johnstown. Concord has defeated Pitt-Johnstown in both of its previous appearances at the IRMC/Hilton Garden Inn Classic, winning 81-72 in 2018. However, the Maroon and Gray have dropped seven and nine-point decisions to IUP. Both times the Crimsons Hawks have been ranked 11^th or better in Division II. Heller scored 18 points against IUP in 2019.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
+1.3- Rebounding margin for Concord last season, the sixth time in seven seasons CU has finished positive on the glass.

4- The Mountain Lions were 4-4 away from the Carter Center last year, the best road/neutral win percentage since 2018-19 when they were 13-5 away from home.

17- Turnovers forced by Concord against Pitt-Johnstown two seasons ago.

PITT-JOHNSTOWN AT A GLANCE
The Mountain Cats have one of the best post players in the region in John Paul Kromka who averaged 15.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per contest two seasons ago. On the perimeter, Drew Magestro scored 9.5 points per game as he made 54 three-pointers and shot 40 percent from behind the arc (54-for-132) in 2019-20. UPJ head coach Bob Rukavina is the most tenured head coach in the Atlantic Region as he begins his 33^rd year at Pitt-Johnstown. He picked up his 500^th career win during the 2019-20 season. After losing to CU to start the 2019-20 season, the Mountain Cats ripped off eight consecutive wins.

IUP AT A GLANCE
IUP won 10 straight games to end 2019-20 and is the defending PSAC Tournament Champion. Like UPJ, the Crimson Hawks return their leading scorer from two years ago in Armoni Foster as he averaged 19.8 points per game and shot 49 percent from the floor. Malik Miller averaged 18.5 points per game behind Foster. Tennessee State transfer Dave Morris started all 30 games two years ago for IUP as he averaged a team-best 4.1 assists per game and also chipped in 9.5 points per game. Before facing Concord Saturday night, Indiana (Pa.) opens the season against West Virginia Wesleyan Friday.