Concord Set for Pivotal Matchup at Notre Dame

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ATHENS, W.Va. - A pair of 10-7 teams meet Wednesday night when the Concord University men's basketball team concludes its season-long four-game road trip at Notre Dame in a Mountain East Conference game at 7:30 p.m.

LIVE COVERAGE
The Notre Dame Sports Information Department will have live statistics and live streaming video of Wednesday's contest. 

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SERIES HISTORY: Concord leads 10-9

LAST FIVE MEETINGS
December 3, 2022: Concord 85 - Notre Dame 80 (Athens, W.Va.)
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.)

CONCORD AT A GLANCE
Overall Record: 10-7
MEC Record: 7-5
Home Record: 3-2
Away Record: 7-4
Neutral Record: 0-1
 
ON A HEATER
Last Monday, graduate guard Lual Daniel Rahama recorded the program's first 25-15 game in seven years when he went for 26 points and 16 rebounds in a setback at Salem. After being held in check to 10 points and nine rebounds at Charleston, Rahama came back and nearly put together another 25-15 game with 23 points and 16 rebounds at Glenville State. The Newport News, Virginia native is the only player in the MEC averaging a double-double and just one of 12 players in Division II averaging a double-double this year.  In seven games in 2023, Rahama is averaging 16.8 points per game and 12.4 rebounds per contest. Earlier this season, Rahama just missed a double-double versus Notre Dame with 13 points and nine rebounds.
 
NEXT MEN UP
While Rahama has been stealing the headlines lately, senior forward Jevon Laidler has quietly put together one of his best stretches in the Maroon and Gray. Laidler started the calendar year by scoring a season-best 20 points versus nationally-ranked West Liberty, and is coming off a game where he netted 18 points at Charleston Wednesday. The Miami native is averaging 13.1 points per game over his last seven while shooting a stellar 47.8 percent from the floor. Junior guard Jordan Wooden returned to form in the loss to Glenville State as he scored 14 points, his most since November 15 at Bluefield State. Included in Saturday's performance was a personal 8-0 run in the second half. It was Wooden's second game back in the lineup after missing the previous three games with injury.
 
GET IN THE WAY
The Mountain Lions forced a season-high 19 turnovers at Glenville State as they scored 25 of their 79 points off GSU miscues. Laidler and Rahama each had two steals against GSU. The 25 points off turnovers for the Maroon and Gray were also a season-best. In fact, Concord had only scored 20 or more points off turnovers two other times this season, versus Fairmont State at home and at West Virginia Wesleyan. Though CU only forced 12 Notre Dame turnovers in its 85-80 win December 3, it was able to make the most of the opportunities by coming up with 15 points. For the season, Concord only forces 12.5 turnovers per game. Notre Dame notches 14.8 per contest.
 
CRITICAL AND CRUCIAL
Wednesday's game will break a tie for sixth place in the MEC standings as both teams enter with a 7-5 record within the league. CU and NDC are three games clear of eighth place, Davis & Elkins, in the MEC standings. The top six teams in the conference receive a bye into the quarterfinal round of the conference tournament while the seventh seed is forced to play an opening game of the MEC Tournament. CU will be looking for its first win at Notre Dame since the 2016-17 season. Additionally, no team has won three straight in the all-time series since the Mountain Lions won all three games in 2015-16. Concord has won two straight, dating back to last year's 80-66 home win.
 
BALANCING ACT
Concord has made a habit of spreading its scoring around this year, and that was no different in a the win over Notre Dame in December. Laidler was CU's leading scorer with 17 points. Senior guard Ethan Heller, fifth-year senior forward Da'Vion Moore and Rahama all tallied 13 points while Wooden had 11 points. Junior guard JJ Harper just missed double figures with nine points. The Mountain Lions have had five double-figure scorers four times this year with the latest coming at Charleston last Wednesday. Four Concord players average double figures: Rahama (16.4), Harper (13.2), Laidler (11.2) and Heller (10.9). Wooden averages 9.3 points per game.
 
LOCKING DOWN WILLIS
The Mountain Lions will be tasked with stopping Jaedon Willis who is second in the MEC in scoring this season at 21.7 points per game. Harper and Wooden, CU's two best perimeter defenders, limited Willis to 4-of-10 shooting and 14 points at the Carter Center. And last year, Wooden played a key role is holding Willis to 2-for-11 shooting in Athens. Willis was a little sharper in NDC's December 2021 win over the Mountain Lions as he was 5-for-12 and scored 16 points in the 63-61 victory for the Falcons. Willis is shooting 43 percent from the field, but is shooting slightly better from three-point distance (43.8).
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
3- Points needed by Rahama to reach 1,000 for his career between his time at Concord and Virginia State.
 
14- Rebounding margin for CU (47-33) in its win over Notre Dame earlier this season.
 
40- Neither team shot better than 40 percent in last year's meeting at Notre Dame.

NOTRE DAME AT A GLANCE
Overall Record: 10-7
MEC Record: 7-5
Home Record: 6-2
Away Record: 4-4
Neutral Record: 0-1
 
SCOUTING THE FALCONS
DeAirius Barker (11.2) and Andre Harris (10.1) round out the double-figure scorers for the Falcons. Notre Dame averages 82.1 points per game which is fifth in the MEC, just ahead of Concord's 81.8 points per game. The Falcons are 6-2 at home this season, but both losses have come in the last three home games. NDC is fresh off a 79-61 win over Alderson Broaddus at Murphy Gymnasium. Though scoring over 82 points per game, Notre Dame is only shooting 43.7 percent on the year which is 11^th in the conference.