Concord Set for Hawaii Games Against Host Hawaii Pacific, Alaska Anchorage

Concord Stats - Hawaii Pacific Stats - Alaska-Anchorage Stats - Live Stats - Live Video - Complete Game Notes

HONOLULU, Hawaii - The Concord University women's basketball team plays games outside the continental United States for the first time in program history when it faces Hawaii Pacific 6:30 p.m. EST/1:30 HST Thursday and Alaska-Anchorage 5:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. HST Friday at the Malika Sports Christmas Tournament in Honolulu, Hawaii.

LIVE COVERAGE
Stats: The Hawaii Pacific Sports Information Department will provide live in-game statistics of both games. 
Video: Live streaming video will also be available for the contests involving Concord. 

RECORDS
Concord is 6-3 this season after a win over Frostburg State Sunday.

Hawaii Pacific is 4-5 on the year.

Alaska-Anchorage is rated as the number five team in Division II and is undefeated at 7-0.

HEATING IT UP
The Mountain Lions shot a season-best 54.5 percent from the field in a victory over Frostburg State. Concord made 26-of-37 shots from two-point range (70.2 percent) as it overcame a 4-for-18 shooting performance from three-point range. Sophomore guard Maddie Ratcliff came off the bench to score 15 points. Senior guard Maggie Guynn chipped in 13 points and fifth-year senior forward Riley Fitzwater added 11 points. Junior guard Jazz Blankenship scored in double figures for the fourth time in six games to post 10 points.  Going back to the end of November in a win over West Virginia State, Concord has shot 48 percent or better from the floor in four of the last five games. CU's team percentage of 46.4 for the season is 18^th in Division II.

CLIMBING THE RANKS
Last week, Fitzwater went over 1,700 points for her career and moved into fourth on the all-time scoring list at Concord, passing Tracy Fletcher (1985-87) along the way. The Glenville, West Virginia native now has 1,727 career points. She needs 55 points to move into third on Concord's scoring list. Additionally, Fitzwater surpassed 750 made field goals in her career. Her 752 made shots are one better than Valdosta State's Kwajelin Farrar for the most among active Division II players. On the perimeter, Guynn is 20 points shy of moving past Rachel Artrip (2011-15) for 18^th at Concord. Guynn has 1,037 career points. The Pearisburg, Virginia native also needs three three-point field goals to jump over former teammate Keely Lundy (2017-20) for ninth on the all-time list at CU. Guynn sits at 112 career made three-pointers.

FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING
Not only will Concord be playing an opponent outside the continental United States for the first time in program history, but the Mountain Lions will be facing Hawaii Pacific and Alaska-Anchorage for the first time in program history. The farthest western opponent for the Maroon and Gray was a December 2014 matchup against Tarleton State (Texas) at a neutral site in Florida. Alaska Anchorage will be the first non-conference, nationally-ranked opponent Concord sees since a November 2012 contest against Indiana (Pa.). The Mountain Lions will be seeking their third straight win over a nationally-ranked opponent on Friday afternoon, after defeating number three Charleston and number 17 Glenville State last season at home.

SHOT MAKERS VERSUS HEART BREAKERS
The Mountain Lions will see two tough defenses while in Hawaii. HPU is allowing opponents to shoot just 39.6 percent this season and only three opponents have shot better than 40 percent on the Sharks this season with two of the three being top-five nationally ranked teams—Alaska Anchorage and Lubbock Christian. UAA has a top 25 defense when it comes to field-goal defense as the Seawolves are tied for 18^th (33.4 percent) in Division II. Alaska-Anchorage hasn't given up 40 percent shooting from the floor this season. The closest any team has come is Saint Martin's (38.3 percent). CU sports the Division II leader in field-goal percentage in Fitzwater (70.9 percent) as well as five other players that shoot at least 40 percent from the field: senior guard Gracie Robinson (55.9 percent), junior forward Alexis Phillips (47.4 percent), Guynn (41.1 percent), sophomore guard Jaisah Smith (41.1) and Ratcliff (40.3 percent).

KNOCK EM DOWN
After a 57.1 percent showing from the foul line in the season opener against Winston-Salem State, Concord has shot at least 70 percent from the free-throw line in eight consecutive games, including making 73.7 percent (14-of-19) versus Frostburg State. The Mountain Lions are third in the Mountain East Conference in foul shooting for the season (71.9 percent). Phillips continues to lead the MEC in free-throw shooting (90.9 percent / 20-of-22) which is also tied for 16^th in Division II. Guynn is just under Concord's team percentage of 70.8 (17-for-24). Blankenship and Robinson are both shooting at least 84 percent from the charity stripe.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
2- Assists needed by Robinson to reach 200 for her career.

54- Even though Friday's game is on a neutral court, Concord (22) and UAA (32) have combined to win 54 straight home games.

113- Games played by Fitzwater in her career, tied for sixth in CU history.

HAWAII PACIFIC AT A GLANCE
After a 4-2 start to the season, the Sharks have lost three straight games including a 70-55 loss to Alaska Anchorage Tuesday. Like Concord with Fitzwater, HPU has an All-American in guard Amy Baum who is averaging 12.6 points per game while shooting 48.1 percent from the floor this season. Tavia Powell is the top scorer for Hawaii Pacific at 15.8 points per game. The Sharks are getting outrebounded by nearly seven boards per game. Though they are stingy on the defensive end, HPU is only shooting 36.7 percent from the field this season.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE AT A GLANCE
Going back to the end of the 2019-20 season, UAA is 41-2 over its last 43 games. The Seawolves also had  back-to-back 30-win seasons in 2018-19 and 2019-20. Alaska-Anchorage has eight different players scoring at least five points per game, led by Nicole Pinckney and Tannae Voliva at 10.3 points per game. Voliva had 16 points in Tuesday's 70-55 win over Hawaii Pacific. The Seawolves took 30 free throws in Tuesday's game, shooting 73.3 percent from the foul line.