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Complete Game Notes
ATHENS, W.Va. - Winners of five of its first six games of the season, the Concord University men's basketball team closes out the calendar year with back-to-back home games, starting with Notre Dame 4:00 p.m. Saturday at the Carter Center in a Mountain East Conference contest.
LIVE COVERAGE
The Concord University Sports Information Department will have live in-game statistics and live video of the contest.
Live Stats
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SERIES HISTORY: Tied 10-10
LAST FIVE MEETINGS VERSUS NOTRE DAME
January 25, 2023: Notre Dame 84 - Concord 75 (South Euclid, Ohio)
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)
CONCORD AT A GLANCE
Overall Record: 5-1
MEC Record: 1-1
Home Record: 1-1
Away Record: 3-0
Neutral Record: 1-0
BENCH BARRAGE
In picking up its second consecutive road win at Salem Wednesday night, 72-56, the Mountain Lions leaned on its bench. Concord's bench combined for a season-high 29 points against Salem with both junior guard
Corey Boston (13 points) and freshman guard
Georges Archer (12 points) scoring in double figures, a career high for each. Boston tied for the team lead in points as he scored all nine points during a 9-0 run in a pivotal spurt in the first half. Archer tossed in all 12 of his points after halftime in playing a team-high 28 minutes. The 29 bench points for CU were the most in an 18-game stretch dating back to late January versus Alderson Broaddus when they netted 36 bench points. Wednesday marked the third time in six games that Concord has posted 20 or more bench points this year.
LOCK EM DOWN
Though CU only shot 40 percent in the road victory, the Maroon and Gray limited Salem to 32.9 percent shooting as the Tigers only hit 25 percent of their shots in the first half. The 56 points that the Mountain Lions held Salem to were the fewest for a Concord team since holding Bluefield State to 53 points in December 2016. The 2016-17 season was the last time that CU held two teams to less than 60 points in the same season before early this season. The Mountain Lions clamped down and only gave up 57 points to Indiana (Pa.) in the first game of the year. Concord's field-goal defense of 39.9 percent is second in the MEC and ranks in a tie for 31
st nationally.
CHARITY STRIPE SUCCESS
While the Mountain Lions haven't been a heavy free-throw shooting team this season (17.1 attempts per game), Concord is shooting 73.8 percent as a team at the foul line. Fifth-year senior forward
Jevon Laidler is 15-for-17 (88.2 percent) at the free-throw stripe. Junior forward
Amare Smith (85 percent) has only missed three times this year, 17-of-20. And sophomore guard
Kollin Tolbert is shooting 81.8 percent (18-for-22) at the charity stripe. Last year in an 85-80 home win over Notre Dame, Concord attempted a season-high 35 foul shots, but only shot 60 percent (21-of-35) at the free-throw line. Concord ranks sixth in the conference in free-throw percentage. Notre Dame and West Virginia Wesleyan (77.9 percent) are tied for first in free throw shooting.
SWAT CITY
Two of the best blocking teams will be showcased Saturday at the Carter Center. Notre Dame is tied for first in Division II in blocks per game (6.6) while CU is tied for seventh (5.7). The Mountain Lions have registered at least five blocks in four of six games this season. Sophomore forward
Rene Diop notched three blocks at Salem to add to his MEC-best 2.8 blocks per game. Senior guard
Jordan Wooden recorded a career-best three blocks at Salem. Meanwhile, Notre Dame's Andre Harris and RJ Ogom are tied for fourth in the conference in blocks per game (1.6). Concord combined for 14 blocks in two games versus the Falcons last season. NDC had three blocks in each game against the Mountain Lions.
HELLO, HOME COURT
Saturday will be the 21
st all-time meeting between Concord and Notre Dame with the all-time series tied at 10-10. Of the last eight meetings at either the Carter Center or NDC's Murphy Gymnasium, the home team has won each—the two sides met in the 2020 MEC Tournament with Concord winning on a neutral court. CU's last win at Notre Dame was January 2016 while NDC has not won at the Carter Center since November 2018. In last year's win, Laidler dropped in 17 points on 7-for-11 shooting and added seven rebounds. Wooden scored 11 points. In the January 2022 win against the Falcons, Laidler once again led the way for CU with 20 points—one of his five career 20-point games in the Maroon and Gray.
TOUGH SLEDDING
The Mountain Lions are third in the MEC in scoring defense at 71.2 points per game. Notre Dame is allowing 82.8 points per game, fourth most in the conference. However, the points allowed by NDC is a product of its pace. While Concord's field-goal defense has been stingy early in the season, the Falcons have been stout too, allowing 40.4 percent to opponents that ranks third in the conference. Both teams have been tough on the three-point offense as well. Concord is one of three teams in the MEC holding teams under 30 percent from three-point distance (29.2 percent/second). Notre Dame is fourth in the conference in three-point defense (31.8). Only Charleston has shot higher than 35 percent from three-point range versus CU this year. Notre Dame has also only allowed 35 percent or higher to one team this year—41.7 percent to West Liberty.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
3- Neither team has won three straight games in the head-to-head series since Concord won three games during the 2015-16 season.
42- Points in the paint for CU in last year's win over Notre Dame.
92.1- Number of rebounds that Concord (46.3) and Notre Dame (45.8) combine for this season, ranking first and second in the MEC.
NOTRE DAME AT A GLANCE
Overall Record: 2-3
MEC Record: 1-2
Home Record: 1-1
Away Record: 0-2
Neutral Record: 1-0
SCOUTING THE FALCONS
Notre Dame is coming off a tough 88-87 home overtime loss against Glenville State. The wins for NDC this season are against Pitt-Johnstown, a mutual Concord opponent, and Wheeling. Ogom is tied for sixth in the MEC in scoring at 15.8 points per game. Gbolahan Adio is sixth in the conference in scoring (13.3). Harris leads the MEC in rebounding at 9.8 and four of his rebounds per game come on the offensive glass. The Falcons are shooting just 27.7 percent from three-point range this season.
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