Concord Looks to Continue Road Success Against West Virginia Wesleyan

Concord Stats - West Virginia Wesleyan Stats - Live Stats - Live Video - Complete Game Notes

ATHENS, W.Va. - The Concord University men's basketball team goes for its seventh road win of the season when it faces West Virginia Wesleyan 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in a Mountain East Conference game.

LIVE COVERAGE
The West Virginia Wesleyan Sports Information Department will have live statistics and live video coverage of Wednesday's contest. 

Live Stats
Live Video

SERIES HISTORY: West Virginia Wesleyan leads 36-35

LAST FIVE MEETINGS
February 16, 2022: Concord 88 - West Virginia Wesleyan 80 (Buckhannon, W.Va.)
January 12, 2022: Concord 76 - West Virginia Wesleyan 58 (Athens, W.Va.)
February 24, 2021: Concord 77 - West Virginia Wesleyan 66 (Buckhannon, W.Va.)
January 13, 2021: Concord 73 - West Virginia Wesleyan 69 (Athens, W.Va.)
February 22, 2020: Conocord 98 - West Virginia Wesleyan 83 (Athens, W.Va.)

CONCORD AT A GLANCE
Overall Record: 8-4
MEC Record: 5-3
Home Record: 2-2
Away Record: 6-1
Neutral Record: 0-1

COMEBACK KIDS
The Mountain Lions rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit at Wheeling to win 81-76 for their sixth road victory of the season. Senior forward Jevon Laidler scored 13 of his 15 points after halftime to assist in the second-half surge. And graduate guard Lual Daniel Raham's 19-point, 15-rebound performance was critical in CU's win. Saturday was the first time that Concord overcame a double-digit halftime deficit in a win since February 2015 at Shepherd when Concord was down 12 points before winning 62-53, holding the Rams to 15 points in the second half. The win at Wheeling also allowed the Maroon and Gray to surpass last year's win total on the road after the Mountain Lions went 5-8 in true road games. This season, CU is 6-1 in true road games and 7-2 away from the Carter Center.

IT TAKES TIME
For a second straight game, the Mountain Lions went over 50 points in the second half as it netted 56 of their 81 points after halftime. Concord shot 56 percent in the second half after recording a 31-percent shooting mark in the first half against the Cardinals. Along with Laidler, junior guard JJ Harper scored 10 of his 14 points in the second half at Wheeling. And Rahama reached double figures in the second half with 10 of his 19 points in the second 20 minutes. For the year, CU has just +1 scoring margin in the first halves of games (428-427), but is +26 in the second half (541-515). Concord is shooting 47.8 percent from the floor in the second halves this season as opposed to 45.7 percent overall.

ALL OF US
For the fifth time this season, CU had five or more players record at least 10 points at Wheeling. Rahama led the way with 19 points. Laidler chipped in 15 points while Harper added 14 points. Senior guard Ethan Heller was an efficient 4-for-7 from the floor for his 13 points, and junior guard Jordan Wooden registered 10 points. Rahama leads CU in scoring with 16.3 points per game, but four other CU players average at least 9.5 points: Harper (12.8), Laidler (11.1), Heller (10.2) and Wooden (9.5). The Mountain Lions are one of five teams in the MEC with five players averaging 9.5 or more points per game with the group consisting of Alderson Broaddus, Fairmont State, West Liberty and West Virginia State.

DOUBLE DANIEL
In two games last week, Rahama averaged 17 points and 13.5 rebounds as he posted consecutive double-doubles after a 15-point, 12-rebound outing versus West Liberty. He became the first Concord player with a 15-rebound game since Simun Kovac against Urbana in November 2019. Rahama's two double-doubles made it consecutive years that CU has had a player record double-doubles in consecutive games after Matt Weir last year—points and assists—versus Glenville State and Notre Dame. One of Rahama's eight career double-doubles came in last year's 76-59 home win over WVWC when he had 16 points and 11 rebounds. Rahama's four double-doubles this season are third most in the MEC behind West Virginia State's Malik Whitaker and Frostburg State's Jason Murphy.

ROCKIN THE ROCK
The Mountain Lions go for their third consecutive win inside Wesleyan's Rockefeller Center Wednesday night after grabbing an 88-80 victory last February and a 77-66 win in February 2021. CU has not won three straight games at West Virginia Wesleyan since the 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons. Wooden put together one of his best games in the Maroon and Gray last season as he netted a career-best 23 points at WVWC. Rahama added 21 points with a 10-of-12 showing at the foul line. Heller stroked in three three-pointers as part of his 11 points. CU shot 50 percent (27-for-54) in the win, and rang in 13 three-pointers as it never trailed in the game.

THE PAINTED AREA
Concord scored 42 of its 81 points in the paint against Wheeling, and had a season-high 56 points in the paint versus West Liberty. West Virginia Wesleyan lacks a true rim protector as the Bobcats only have seven blocks as a team this season. However, last season CU only averaged 32 points in the paint versus WVWC. On the flip side, the Mountain Lions have some of the best rim protection in the MEC. The Maroon and Gray is second in the league in blocked shots (4.2 per game). Laidler is sixth in the conference in blocks (1.3) while Harper is eighth (1.1). Laidler has five multi-block games this season, including Saturday at Wheeling.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
6- CU's six road wins this year are the most since 2018-19 when it had ten.

36- A Concord win Wednesday night would even the all-time series with WVWC at 36 games each.

53- Points needed by Heller to reach 1,000 for his career.

WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN AT A GLANCE
Overall Record: 1-11
MEC Record: 1-7
Home Record: 1-3
Road Record: 0-7
Neutral Record: 0-1

SCOUTING THE BOBCATS
West Virginia Wesleyan's win came in overtime against Wheeling, 89-87. It was also just one of two games this season that the Bobcats have shot 45 percent or better from the field. Darius Green is 10^th in the conference in scoring (15.9 points per game). Tyler Slone is one of the best three-point shooters in the MEC, hitting 40.6 percent (28-of-69) of his shots from beyond the arc. The Bobcats are the worst rebounding team in the league, getting outboarded by six per game.