Concord Hosts Notre Dame, Seeking Third Consecutive Win

Concord Stats - Notre Dame Stats - Live Stats - Live Video - Complete Game Notes

ATHENS, W.Va. - After a three-game road trip, the Concord University men's basketball team returns to the Carter Center for a Mountain East Conference game versus Notre Dame 4:00 p.m. Saturday.

LIVE COVERAGE
The Concord University Sports Information Department will have live streamign video and live in-game statistics for Saturday's tilt. 

Live Stats
Live Video

SERIES HISTORY: Tied 9-9

LAST FIVE MEETINGS
January 26, 2022: Concord 80 - Notre Dame 66 (Athens, W.Va.)
December 4, 2021: Notre Dame 63 - Concord 61 (South Euclid, Ohio)
February 6, 2021: Notre Dame 71 - Concord 56 (South Euclid, Ohio)
March 4, 2020: Concord 73 - Notre Dame 68 (Wheeling, W.Va.)
January 29, 2020: Notre Dame 90 - Concord 73 (South Euclid, Ohio)

CONCORD AT A GLANCE
Overall Record: 4-3
Home Record: 0-1
Away Record: 4-1
Neutral Record: 0-1

EXTRA TIME
Concord won the final two games of its road trip with the first coming against Ohio Dominican in double overtime, 90-85, Monday. It was the first double overtime game for the Mountain Lions since the opening round of the Mountain East Conference Tournament in 2021 when they picked up a 107-100 win over Davis & Elkins. Freshman guard Kollin Tolbert posted a career-high 24 points as 16 of those points came in the overtime periods. It was the third time in four seasons that a CU freshman scored 24 or more points in a game.  Sophomore forward Amare Smith posted 28 points in a win over Davis & Elkins last season. As a freshman in 2019-20, senior guard Ethan Heller scored 29 points in his collegiate debut versus Pitt-Johnstown. Tolbert was 6-of-8 from the floor and 11-for-13 at the foul line, the most free throws made for a CU player this season, in the win.

HEATING UP
The Mountain Lions' second win away from home came at Alderson Broaddus Wednesday night, 81-66. In each game, Concord shot better in the second half than it did in the first half. After being held to 36.6 percent in the first half at Ohio Dominican, the Maroon and Gray combined to shoot 56.6 percent (17-for-30) in the second half and overtimes. At AB, CU shot 46.6 percent in the first half before posting a blistering 59.3 percent in the second half. Overall, the Mountain Lions had their second-best shooting performance of the season at 53.2 percent. Junior guard JJ Harper (7-of-8) and senior forward Jevon Laidler (7-for-10) combined for 14-for-18 from the floor. Graduate guard Lual Daniel Rahama threw in a 6-for-12 effort at Alderson Broaddus.

ALL-AROUND PLAYERS
While Laidler and junior guard Jordan Wooden are both averaging less than 10 points per game, the duo has been effecting the game in other ways recently. Over the last two games, Laidler has come up with six steals, three blocks—all against AB, and 13 rebounds. Laidler is six in the conference in blocks per game (1.3) while Harper is fourth (1.4). Meanwhile, Wooden collected his fourth career double-double at ODU with 10 points and 11 rebounds. He also passed out a team-best four assists against Ohio Dominican. Wooden will be charged with guarding the MEC's leading scorer in Notre Dame's Jaedon Willis who is averaging 24.2 points per game. In January, Wooden and graduated guard Brandon Kennedy limited Willis to 2-of-11 shooting and nine points.

EFFICIENT FROM OUTSIDE
On Wednesday, Concord tied its season high with seven made three-pointers, but only needed 12 attempts against the Battlers. Harper became the first CU player this season to make three three-pointers in a game as he connected on all three attempts. Rahama made two of his three attempts from beyond the arc, and Smith hit on his lone three-point attempt. Concord will look to slow a Notre Dame team that shoots 39.8 percent from three-point range and has made the fifth-most three-pointers in the MEC (53). Individually, Willis is shooting 40.4 percent deep and has 17 made three-pointers. The Mountain Lions rank third in the MEC in three-point defense (30.8).

ALL EVEN
Saturday will be the 19^th all-time meeting between Concord and Notre Dame with the series tied at 9-9. Just three times in series history has one team swept the other since 2013-14. CU took three games from NDC during the 2015-16 season, including the MEC Championship. One of the Notre Dame sweeps came during its conference championship season of 2018-19. The home team has won five of the last six meetings with CU coming away victorious in the 2020 MEC Tournament's Opening Round. The last true road win for either team was NDC in November 2018 at Concord.

SHOOTER'S GYM
Concord's last two home wins over the Falcons has been spurred by the three-point shot. Concord used 14 three-pointers to win 80-66 in January at home. The Mountain Lions shot better from three-point range (42.4-42.1) than they did from the field. Laider hit three three-pointers while senior guard Ethan Heller and Wooden each had two triples. Heller led a three-point barrage in a December 2019 win over the Falcons. He hit on five triples as part of his 20 points. Concord hit another 14 three-pointers in the 79-76 victory. The Maroon and Gray made 53.8 percent (14-of-26) of its three-point tries three years ago versus NDC.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
2- Charges taken by Heller at Ohio Dominican, the first time this season a CU player has taken multiple charges in the same game.

12- Career-high rebounds by Laidler at Notre Dame last season.

162- Points needed by Rahama to reach 1,000 for his career.

NOTRE DAME AT A GLANCE
Overall: 3-3
MEC Record: 2-1
Home Record: 3-0
Away Record: 0-2
Neutral Record: 0-1

SCOUTING THE FALCONS
DeAirius Barker (10.8 points) joins Willis in double figures this season as he is shooting 52.1 percent from the floor. Notre Dame is 11^th in the MEC in scoring defense (83.2), but is fourth in field-goal defense (42.7). The Falcons held Concord to 34.9 percent shooting in their 63-61 home win last season. Willis netted 1 points while Tyland Crawford (12) and West Virginia Wesleyan transfer Daylin Lee (11) combined for 23 points. Barker netted 10 points off the bench.