Concord Begins Home Slate in MEC Opener Versus Charleston

Concord Stats - Charleston Stats - Live Stats - Live Video - Complete Game Notes

ATHENS, W.Va. - The Concord University women's basketball team welcomes nationally-ranked 15^th-rated Charleston to the Carter Center for the start of Mountain East Conference play 2:00 p.m. Saturday.

LIVE COVERAGE
The Concord University Sports Information Department will provide live in-game statistics and live streaming video of Saturday's game. 

Live Stats
Live Video

SERIES HISTORY: Charleston 42-15 

LAST FIVE MEETINGS
January 19, 2022: Charleston 81 - Concord 67 (Athens, W.Va.)
November 20, 2021: Charleston 77 - Concord 69 (Charleston, W.Va.)
February 20, 2021: Concord 59 - #3 Charleston (Athens, W.Va.)
January 7, 2021: Charleston 69 - Concord 56 (Charleston, W.Va.)
January 22, 2020: Charleston 63 - Charleston 42 (Charleston, W.Va.)

OPENING STATEMENT
Freshman forward Abbie Smith recorded her first career double-double with 25 points and 12 rebounds in Tuesday's 80-74 loss at Bluefield State. Smith's outburst came after she only scored seven total points in the first two games combined. However, the Little Hocking, Ohio native shot 11-for-18 from the floor, and 12 of her 25 points came on second-chance opportunities. For context, two-time All-American Riley Fitzwater had her first career 25-point, 10-rebound game in her seventh career contest. Smith also became the second CU player in as many years with a 20-point game off the bench after junior guard Maddie Ratcliff scored 20 points in 26 minutes at Bluefield State last season.

GLASS ATTACK
Concord held a 38-30 rebounding margin at Bluefield State earlier in the week. Along with Smith's 12 boards, graduate forward Alexis Phillips threw in eight rebounds to go with 12 points. Eight of Smith's rebounds came on the offensive end as she became the first player with eight offensive rebounds since Fitzwater last year at West Liberty at the beginning of January. Both Phillips and Smith are averaging at least three offensive rebounds per game early in the season.  Both CU and Charleston have similar rebounding margins this season as Concord is +1.3 on the glass while Charleston is -1.3. In the first meeting last year, UC held a 37-33 rebounding edge before holding a 39-19 advantage at the Carter Center.

DIG IN DEFENSIVELY
In recent years, Concord and Charleston have become two of the best defensive teams in the MEC when it comes to field-goal defense. In the most recent meeting last season, neither team shot above 40 percent. Early in the season, the Mountain Lions are one of four teams in the MEC holding teams to below 40 percent from the floor (39.2). UC is fifth in the conference in field-goal defense as it holds teams to 42.9 percent from the field. Last winter, the Golden Eagles ranked first in field-goal defense in the MEC (36.9) while CU was third (38.2). Last year, Concord was 17-7 when it held teams below 40 percent from the field.

UPSET BREWING?
For the second time in three seasons, Charleston comes to Athens as a nationally-ranked team. In February 2021, UC entered the contest rated third in Division II. The Mountain Lions picked up a 59-54 win at home. Ratcliff was a key contributing factor in the win as she posted 17 points. In four career games versus the Golden Eagles, Ratcliff is averaging 11.7 points. Meanwhile, graduate guard Maggie Guynn has posted 12.6 points per game in her last six games versus UC. Guynn scored 23 points in Concord's 81-72 overtime win versus Charleston in November 2019. Concord has won two of its last three home games against the Golden Eagles.

AT THE TOP
On Tuesday night, junior guard Jaisah Smith was thrusted to the point guard position as she handed out four assists and scored nine points. The Bluefield, West Virginia native is sixth in the MEC in assists per game (4.0) and ranks fifth in free-throw percentage (92.9 / 13-14). Smith and senior guard Ashton Funderburg will match up against Charleston's veteran point guard Trinity Palacio who is 10^th in the conference in scoring (18.3) and fourth in assists per game (4.3). Like J. Smith, Palacio has found her way to the line at an inflated rate this season, attempting the second-most free throws in the conference (22).

GET EM UP
Last season at Charleston in a 77-69 loss, the Mountain Lions stroked in a season-best 11 three-pointers on 25 attempts. Senior guard Jazz Blankenship tossed in four three-pointers which tied a career high. Ratcliff had a career-high three triples as part of her 15 points. Blankenship netted 16 points. However, CU was held to three three-pointers at home in January versus UC. On the other side, Charleston's Dakota Reeves is a 45 percent shooter for her career from three-point range. This season, Reeves has hit 12 three-pointers in three games and is connecting on 46.2 percent of her attempts. In the last three seasons, Reeves is shooting 40 percent (20-for-50) from beyond the arc against CU. She has two different games with five three-pointers.

WELCOME HOME
With an 81-67 win at the Carter Center last season, Charleston snapped Concord's 24-game home winning streak. The Mountain Lions held a one-point lead going to the fourth quarter before UC outscored Concord 28-13 in the final 10 minutes. Since the start of the 2017-18 season, Concord is 48-9 at home with only Charleston, Glenville State and Notre Dame defeating CU at the Carter Center multiple times over that span. Over the last three seasons, Concord has only been held under 40 percent shooting at home three times—all last season, but CU was 2-1 in those games with wins over Bluefield State and Notre Dame before losing to Charleston.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
9- Combined missed free throws between CU and Charleston last season at the Carter Center as the teams went 43-for-52 at the foul line.

13- Three-pointers needed by Blankenship to reach 100 for her career.

50- Paint points for Concord at Bluefield State.

CHARLESTON AT A GLANCE
Overall Record: 2-1
MEC Record: 0-0
Home Record: 2-0
Away Record: 0-1

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES
Charleston opened the season with a pair of home wins over Mercyhurst and California (Pa.) before falling at Lincoln, 74-68, Wednesday night on the road. Despite having a good deal of size in the paint, Reeves is UC's leading rebounding with 5.7 per game. The trio of guards for Charleston is rounded out by Marykia McCormick who is ninth in the conference in scoring (18.3). As a team, UC is shooting 41.7 percent from three-point range, a conference best.