Concord Starts MEC Play with Trip to Charleston, Hosts West Virginia State

Concord Stats - Charleston Stats - West Virginia State Stats - Live Stats - Live Video

ATHENS, W.Va. - Off to a 3-0 start this season, the Concord University women's basketball team opens up Mountain East Conference play 2:00 p.m. Saturday when it faces Charleston on the road before hosting West Virginia State 2:00 p.m. Tuesday inside the Carter Center.

LIVE COVERAGE
Stats: Both the University of Charleston and Concord University Sports Information Departments will provide live in-game statistics for the contests this week. 
Video: Live streaming video is available for the games this week.

RECORDS
Concord picked up its third win of the season with a 56-43 win over Bluefield State.

Charleston is 2-1 this season with its lone loss coming against regional power California (Pa.). West Virginia State is 3-0 with two wins coming by six points or less.

GUARDING AND GRINDING
In CU's 13-point win over Bluefield State, the Mountain Lions limited BSC to 23.2 percent shooting and forced 18 turnovers. The 43 points allowed by Concord were the fewest since giving up 42 in a 30-point win over West Virginia Wesleyan, February 22, 2020. Meanwhile, the 23 percent shooting that Concord aloowed was the lowest for a CU opponent since Davis & Elkins visited the Carter Center and shot 22.2 percent in January 2020. Senior guard Gracie Robinson tied her career high with four steals versus BSC as the Mountain Lions had the most steals in a single game since the same contest versus Davis & Elkins in 2020—also 11 steals. Fifth-year senior forward Riley Fitzwater (four) and sophomore guard Maddie Ratcliff (two) combined for six of Concord's eight blocks versus Bluefield State.

SECOND UNIT
Concord's bench scored 17 points in the victory over Bluefield State after chipping in 24 points in the 72-70 win over Clarion. Junior guard Jazz Blankenship and junior forward Alexis Phillips have led the bench effort over the last two games. Phillips is averaging 9.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in those game while playing 21 minutes on average off bench. Blankenship has chipped in 10 points per game over the last two, aided by hitting four of her 12 attempts from three-point range. Junior guard Ashton Funderburg added a season-best four assists versus Bluefield State in 16 minutes. Dating back to last year, the Mountain Lions have gotten at least 15 points from its bench in 17 of the last 20 games.

KEEPING THE STREAKS GOING
Concord opens up the conference portion of its schedule 3-0 for the first time since 2011-12. The Mountain Lions will be going for their first 4-0 start since the 2009-10 season when they started 6-0. Additionally, the Maroon and Gray will be looking for its longest winning streak since piecing together an eight-gaame streak to end the 2019-20 season before a loss in the MEC Semifinals to Glenville State. Meanwhile on Tuesday, the Mountain Lions seek their sixth win over West Virginia State in the last seven meetings. In the five previous wins, Concord is averaging 96.8 points per game, including putting a program-record 122 points on the board in a 10-point road win in November 2019.

DIGGING IN
The Mountain Lions travel to Charleston, a place they have won at just once since the 2011-12 season, for the MEC opener Saturday. Concord picked up a 77-72 overtime win at the Wehrle Center in January 2019. CU dropped a 69-56 decision to the Golden Eagles to opener the 2021 season despite shooting 52.6 percent from the field. Concord was unable to overcome 25 turnovers. The Maroon and Gray has held UC to less than 40 percent shooting in four straight meetings. This season, Concord and Charleston are the only two teams in the MEC holding opponents to 35 percent or less shooting. UC limits opponents to 32.6 percent shooting while Concord checks in at 35.9 percent.

BIG PRESSURE, BIG GAMES
WVSU's full-court press has forced teams into 30 turnovers per game in three contests this season. The Yellow Jackets are also holding teams to 36.7 percent shooting and 63.7 points per game this season. In recent series history, the Mountain Lions have had success at finding the basket when breaking the pressure. In her last four games against West Virginia State, Fitzwater is averaging 26.2 points per game while shooting 76.2 percent from the field. Senior guard Maggie Guynn has also tallied four straight 20-points games versus West Virginia State, including a career-best 27 points in a February win. The Mountain Lions have shot at least 49 percent in the last four wins over West Virginia State.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
17- Deficit erased by Concord in the second half on a 70-67 win over WVSU at home last season.

36- Points needed by Fitzwater to move into the top five in scoring at Concord. She sits at 1,632 for her career.

54- Season-low points that CU held Charleston to in a five-point win at the Carter Center last season.

CHARLESTON AT A GLANCE
Second-year head coach Tianni Kelly has been tasked with replacing MEC Player of the Year and All-American Brooklyn Pannell. The Golden Eagles are relying on team defense this season as Trinity Palacio is the top scorer at 10.3 points per game. UC is only scoring 52 points per game, but is giving up 49.3 per contest. Sharp shooter Dakota Reeves has been limited to eight three-point attempts and 4.7 points per game this season. Charleston picked up a 53-44 win over Livingstone Wednesday night ahead of Saturday's game.

WEST VIRGINIA STATE AT A GLANCE
Reigning MEC Player of the Week Hannah Shriver has her hand in several different things early in the season, averaging 14.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. All-MEC guard Charity Shears is the top scorer for the Yellow Jackets, scoring 15.7 points per game to go with 12 made three-pointers in three games. WVSU improved to 3-0 with a 61-55 win over Pitt-Johnstown Wednesday. It's the first 3-0 start for West Virginia State since 2012-13.