Concord Faces Nationally-Ranked Fairmont State, Ends Semester Versus Frostburg State

Concord Stats - Fairmont State Stats - Frostburg State Stats - Live Audio - Live Stats - Live Video - Complete Game Notes

ATHENS, W.Va. - The Concord University men's basketball team visits nationally-ranked Fairmont State 7:30 p.m. Wednesday before playing host to Frostburg State 2:00 p.m. Sunday in a pair of Mountain East Conference games.

LIVE COVERAGE
Audio: Fairmont State's Travis Jones and Duane Cochran will have live radio play-by-play on Sky 106.5 Wednesday night while Jason Reed and Steve will provide live radio coverage for Sunday's game on 94.5 "Willie" FM.
Stats: Live in-game statistics will be available for both games courtesy of the Concord and Fairmont State Sports Information Departments. 
Video: Live streaming video will be provided throughout the week. 

RECORDS
The Mountain Lions had their three-game win streak stopped at Notre Dame and now sit at 4-5 overall and 2-2 in the MEC.

Fairmont State is ranked 17th in Division II at 6-1 this season and 3-1 versus the conference.

Frostburg State comes into play this week at 2-7 overall and 1-3 in the MEC.

CLOSE CALLS
All three games for CU last week were decided by two points. The Mountain Lions outlasted West Virginia State, 81-79, in overtime behind 21 points from fifth-year senior forward Lual Daniel Rahama. Fifth-year senior guard Matt Weir's jumper with 30 seconds remaining was the difference in a 75-73 victory over Alderson-Broaddus. But, Weir's career-high 27 points and seven three-pointers weren't enough for CU in a 63-61 loss at Notre Dame over the weekend. It hasn't been that long since the Maroon and Gray had three consecutive games decided by one possession. During the 2018-19 season, Concord had five straight games decided by three points or less in late January of that campaign. Five of the first nine games of the season of 2021-22 have had a five or less point margin—the first time the first 10 games of a season have been decided by two or fewer possessions since the 2015-16 season.

GETTING ON THE GLASS
Concord ripped down a season-best 17 offensive rebounds at Notre Dame that turned into 17 second-chance points. The 47-35 rebounding margin the Mountain Lions had was the second time CU has been 10 or better on the glass than their opponents in 2021-22. Though Rahama ranks seventh in the MEC in rebounding (7.2 per game) and senior forward Da'Vion Moore is 11^th (6.1 per game), it was junior forward Jevon Laidler that pulled down a career-best 12 rebounds at NDC. Rahama grabs 2.3 offensive rebounds per game, fifth in the MEC while sophomore forward Luken Hill is collecting 1.7 offensive boards per contest. Rebounds on the offensive glass could be at a premium with both CU and Fairmont State grabbing over 70 percent of opponents' misses this season. Frostburg State is just under 70 percent, collecting 68.7 percent of misses on the defensive glass.

HOT SHOTS
Wednesday night will be a matchup of the top two three-point shooters in the MEC, by percentage. Fairmont State's Zyon Dobbs has hit on 51.9 percent (14-for-27) of his three-point attempts to lead the MEC. Helped out by his 7-of-12 effort from beyond the arc at NDC, Weir has made 44.4 percent of his three-pointers (28-for-63) this year. Also in the top 10 of the MEC in three-point percentage is junior guard Ethan Heller who is shooting 37.3 percent (19-for-51). Weir's 3.1 three-pointers per game are second in the MEC while Heller's 2.3 triples per contest are fifth. And while both teams combine for nearly 20 three-pointers made per game, both Concord and Fairmont State are the only teams in the MEC holding teams to less than 30 percent from three-point distance this season.

RETURN TO SENDER
While making a three-pointer has proven tough against both CU and FSU, points around the rim could be difficult too. Concord's Moore and Fairmont State's Seth Younkin are the top two shot blockers in the MEC. Moore has at least one block in seven of nine games played this season and his 1.6 blocks per game are just outside the top 25 nationally. Younkin has blocked 1.4 shots per game. And CU will see another top shot blocker on Sunday in Frostburg State's Sean Patterson who is fourth in the MEC (1.3 per game). The 29 blocks the Maroon and Gray have this season are already more in nine games than the 24 they had in 17 games last year.

GONNA BE A GRINDER
In three all-time meetings with Frostburg State, the Mountain Lions and the Bobcats have been mixed up in low-scoring games. Despite CU holding FSU to less than 38 percent shooting in all three meetings, Concord has only been the victor once, a 69-60 win last season at home. Concord was swept during the 2019-20 season by Frostburg State, 62-58 and 68-65, as it held Frostburg State to 37.1 percent shooting both times. Offensively, Moore notched his first career double-double versus the Bobcats last season with 18 points and 10 rebounds off the bench. Defensively, senior guard Brandon Kennedy held FSU's leading scorer, Agyei Edwards, to 4-of-13 shooting and 11 points. Edwards is scoring 13.8 points per game this year.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
10- Rahama has scored in double figures in all nine games this season.

19- Concord outrebounded Frostburg State by 19 in last year's 69-60 win.

27.0- Percentage that CU opponents are being held to from three-point range this season, the best in the MEC.

FAIRMONT STATE A GLANCE
The Fighting Falcons suffered their first loss of the season last Wednesday, an 87-70 defeat at Charleston, but bounced back with an 83-71 home win over West Virginia State. Isaiah Sanders is the MEC's top scorer at 24.3 points per game. Sanders is joined in the backcourt by Dobbs (15.6 points per game) and experienced shooting guard Cole VonHandorf (11.4 points per game). Concord and Fairmont State are very similar in overall rebounding margin this season with CU at +0.2 and the Fighting Falcons at -0.4. Fairmont State is the only team in the MEC holding teams under 40 percent shooting.

FROSTBURG STATE AT A GLANCE
The Bobcats are giving up 87.2 points per game and are coming off back-to-back contests of allowing 103 points to Charleston and West Virginia State. Edwards is one of three players in double figures, Canaan Bartley (17.2 points) and Michael Tate (13.9 points). Opponents are shooting 48.9 percent in 2021-22 versus Frostburg State and the Bobcats give up 87 points per game. The Bobcats are one of four teams in the MEC shooting at 75 percent from the foul line this season.