Concord Hosts Davis & Elkins on Senior Day

Concord Stats - Davis & Elkins Stats - Live Stats - Live Video - Complete Game Notes

ATHENS, W.Va. - The Concord University women's basketball team plays host to Davis & Elkins 2:00 p.m. Saturday in a Mountain East Conference.

LIVE COVERAGE
Stats: The Concord University Sports Information Department will provide live in-game statistics of Saturday's contest. 
Video: Live streaming video is available with Jason Reed and Steve Cox on the call. 

RECORDS
The Mountain Lions were edged 55-53 at Notre Dame Saturday to move its record to 5-5.

Davis & Elkins lost to West Virginia Wesleyan Wednesday to move its record to 2-9.

THE SENIOR GAME
Prior to Saturday's contest, head coach Kenny Osborne and his program will recognize seniors, guard Abigail Gwinn and forward Morgan Thomas. Gwinn has been part of 62 wins to date in her four years in the Maroon and Gray. The Shady Spring, West Virginia native has seen action in 36 career games, and on Saturday makes her first career start. Thomas joined the program from Westside High prior to the start of the 2018-19 season, and has played in five career games, including CU's 2019 MEC Tournament game against UVa.-Wise. Gwinn will pursue a career in history education while Thomas has been accepted into Marshall's doctorate of physical therapy program.

THE ALL-TIMER
Senior forward Riley Fitzwater became Concord's all-time leading rebounder with 16 boards at NDC. The Glenville, West Virginia native now has 1,146 for her career, and owns program records in rebounds, blocks (419) and field-goal percentage (67.8). Additionally, Fitzwater is closing in on 1,500 career points as she needs 44 to become the eighth player in program history to eclipse the mark. Even though, it's not a program-record statistic, Fitzwater's 57 double-doubles are also the best in program history with Jolysa Brown's (2008-12) 48 double-doubles being second. Also on Saturday, Fitzwater moved past Madison May for third on the all-time field goals made list at CU as Fitzwater now has 628 shots for her career.

CARTER COMFORT
Though the Mountain Lions are still searching for their first road win of 2021, the Carter Center has been very kind to the Maroon and Gray over the last two seasons. Concord has won 15 straight home games dating back to December 2019 when it last lost to Notre Dame. CU's average winning margin over the last 15 home games has been 18.6 with seven of those games being decided by 15 or more points. However, there have been close calls too, with two games going to overtime (Fairmont State – December 2019 and Urbana – February 2020) and last year's season finale against Glenville State not knowing the outcome until the final buzzer in a 103-102 win last February. Additionally, the Mountain Lions had to erase a 19-point second-half deficit against West Virginia State to keep the streak alive in a 70-67 win earlier this season.

HOME SWEET HOME
During Concord's winning streak at home, Fitzwater has shined by posting a double-double in 14 of the 15 games with the lone game without a double-double coming against Frostburg State in a December 2019 win by 27 points, 82-55. Overall, Fitzwater has averaged 19.5 points and 13.7 rebounds per game. Junior guard Maggie Guynn is posting 13.8 points per game in CU's 15-game winning streak at the Carter Center and is shooting 44.5 percent, a percentage point higher than her career shooting mark. Of senior guard Keely Lundy's 102 career three-pointers, 30 have come during Concord's winning streak including a career-best five against Glenville State last season. In her last two home games, sophomore guard Jazz Blankenship has notched career high in points—16 against Frostburg State before registering 17 points against Alderson Broaddus February 3.

THE STOPPER
Junior guard Gracie Robinson has turned into one of Concord's best perimeter defenders over the last two seasons as she has started 40 consecutive games, second-longest active streak for CU behind Fitzwater's 43 straight starts. Earlier this season, Robinson held West Liberty's Audrey Tingle to one point and eight turnovers in a 68-56 Mountain Lions' win. However, Robinson raised the bar over the weekend on the defensive end as she held NDC's Jada Marone to 11 points on 4-of-17 shooting. Marone entered the weekend averaging nearly 25 points per game.

STOPPING THE OUTSIDE SHOT
Fueled by Robinson's defensive tenacity, the Mountain Lions have held five straight opponents to less than 25 percent shooting from three-point range, including Notre Dame making just 2-of-23 three-point attempts. In the last two home games, Concord has held Alderson Broaddus and Frostburg State to a combined 4-for-38 from three-point range, including holding FSU to 0-of-11 from beyond the arc. CU's three-point field goal defense of 22.8 percent for the season is ranked seventh in Division II. D&E enters Saturday shooting just 19.7 percent this season (34-for-173). Earlier this season, the Senators shot 23.5 percent (4-for-17) from deep on Concord.

WELCOME TO THE SHOW
Concord was edged by Davis & Elkins earlier this season as the Senators picked up a 67-65 win over CU. While Fitzwater and Guynn each had 14 points in the defeat, Concord's two freshmen guards, Maddie Ratcliff and Jaisah Smith stood out. Smith totaled a career-best 16 points in 23 minutes of action. Ratcliff came off the bench to score 10 points—one of her seven double-digit scoring games of her early career. Fitzwater pulled down a season-best 21 rebounds which was her fourth career 20-rebound contest. While the last two games with D&E on the road have been decided by a total of five points, the Mountain Lions pulled away for an 82-47 win over the Senators last season at home.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
6- Sophomore guard Jazz Blankenship has scored at least six points off the bench in four straight games.

22- Concord held D&E to 22 percent shooting in last year's home win over the Senators.

30- Paced by Ratcliff and Smith, CU scored 30 bench points at Davis & Elkins, a season high before 44 bench points against Alderson Broaadus.

DAVIS & ELKINS AT A GLANCE
The Senators snapped a seven-game losing streak with a road win at Wheeling, but fell at home to West Virginia Wesleyan on Wednesday night. Since the two-point over Concord, the last seven games for the Senators have been decided by double digits including the 10-point win at Wheeling, and the 11-point loss against WVWC. Jamiyah Johnson averages 18.4 points and 15.3 rebounds per game. After missing three games, Johnson returned to the lineup versus West Virginia Wesleyan. Amiah Banks, Marissa Berlin, Jessica Eadsforth-Yates, Sydney Nesoter and Allie Taylor all average between 7.1 points and 8.9 points per game.