Concord Welcomes Bluefield State in Rivalry Game

Concord Stats - Bluefield State Stats - Live Stats - Live Video - Complete Game Notes

ATHENS, W.Va. - The Concord University women's basketball team steps out of Mountain East Conference play for the final time in the 2022-23 season as it welcomes Mercer County rival Bluefield State to the Carter Center 5:30 p.m. Monday.

LIVE COVERAGE
The Concord University Sports Information Department will have live in-game statistics and live video of Monday's contest. 

Live Stats
Live Video

SERIES HISTORY: Concord leads 36-16

LAST FIVE MEETINGS
November 15, 2022: Bluefield State 80 - Concord 74 (Bluefield, W.Va.)
February 14, 2022: Concord 75 - Bluefield State 68 (Bluefield, W.Va.)
November 16, 2021: Concord 56 - Bluefield State 43 (Athens, W.Va.)
February 3, 2020: Concord 63 - Bluefield State 53 (Athens, W.Va.)
November 12, 2019: Concord 75 - Bluefield State 45 (Bluefield, W.Va.)

CONCORD AT A GLANCE
Overall Record: 9-14
MEC Record: 7-11
Home Record: 5-4
Road Record: 3-9
Neutral Record: 1-1

RARE AIR
With 16 points at West Liberty Saturday afternoon, graduate guard Maggie Guynn stands six points shy of 1,500 for her career. She would become the ninth player in program history to reach the achievement. Additionally, it would mean that three of the 1,500-point scorers at CU have taken to Christie/Cox Court in the last five seasons. All-American Riley Fitzwater (2017-22) is the program's all-time leading scorer at 2,077 points while current assistant coach Madison Heller (2016-2020) tallied 1,788 career points, third all-time. Also on Saturday, Guynn passed former teammate Emily Boothe for sixth on the program's all-time three-point list and now has 165 in her time in the Maroon and Gray. The Pearisburg, Virginia native would be just third player in program history with 1,500 points and 150 three-pointers, joining Jina Skinner (1989-92) and Katrina Daniels (1990-93).

HERE FOR YOU
The Mountain Lions passed out 14 assists on 30 made shots at West Liberty with 11 combined assists from junior guards Maddie Ratcliff and Jaisah Smith. A game after scoring a season-best 16 points in a win over Wheeling, Ratcliff notched a career-best six assists as she only committed one turnover. Meanwhile, Smith tallied her fourth game with at least five assists over the last six games. Smith leads Concord with 2.6 assists per game and is 12^th in the MEC in assists. Before the setback at WLU, the Mountain Lions had been 4-1 this season when it passed out at least 14 assists. Earlier this season, CU had 13 assists at Bluefield State.

EASY BUCKETS
On Saturday, Concord only got a combined 16 points on three-pointers and free throws as it made three three-pointers and seven foul shots. However, the Mountain Lions leaned on its production in the paint as it scored 46 points in the lane. Although, CU only shot 45 percent (23-for-51) in the paint against the Hilltoppers. In November, the Mountain Lions went to work in the paint against Bluefield State as it netted 50 points in the paint. And in that particular game, Concord was much more efficient in the paint as it posted a shooting percentage of 58 (25-for-43). A. Smith scored seven of her 11 field goals in the paint while graduate forward Alexis Phillips had four of her five shots in the lane on her way to a season-best 12 points.

UNLEASH THE FRESHMAN
Playing in just her third career game in the Maroon and Gray, A. Smith came off the bench and scored 25 points which is a single-game best for any CU player this winter while adding 12 rebounds for her first career double-double. Eight of the 12 boards came on the offensive end for Smith as she scored 12 second-chance points. She finished the game 11-for-17 from the floor in 31 minutes. The Little Hocking, Ohio native is coming off a 16-point, 12-rebound outing at West Liberty which was her seventh double-double of the 2022-23 season. Over her last six games, A. Smith is averaging 16.3 points and 8.1 rebounds per contest, dating back to her 13-point, 18-rebound game at Notre Dame.

RIVALRY RENEWED
Concord lost its first game to Bluefield State since the 2014-15 season when the Big Blues won on their home floor, 80-74, in November. The Mountain Lions haven't lost in Athens to BSU since the end of the 2012-13 season. In November 2021, CU won a defensive struggle, 56-43, as Ratcliff was just one of two players to finish in double figures for the Maroon and Gray posting 14 points. Phillips added nine points and eight rebounds, and had 12 points and eight rebounds at BSU this past November. Ratcliff is averaging 15.6 points per game in three career contests versus Bluefield State. Monday's game features three players and two coaches with Mercer County ties—freshman guard Hannah Perdue (Princeton), J. Smith (Bluefield), Bluefield State's Dani Janutolo (Bluefield), CU head coach Tesla Southcott (Princeton) and Heller (Athens).

FRIENDLY CONFINES
After starting the season 2-4 at home, Concord has won three consecutive home games, and will finish the season with four of its final five games at the Carter Center. The three wins have come by an average of 14.3 points. Into her final stretch of home games in Athens, Guynn is averaging 12.0 points per game which is slightly above her season average of 11.3, but she is shooting significantly better inside the Carter Center. In nine home games, Guynn displays a 48.5 percent from the floor versus 39.1 percent for the season in 23 games. J. Smith is shooting 47.1 percent at home this winter.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
4.3- Rebounding margin for Concord on the season, compared to -6.0 for Bluefield State.

12- Consecutive games won by Concord over Bluefield State before the November loss.

23.2- Shooting percentage that CU held BSU to in last year's win at home.

BLUEFIELD STATE AT A GLANCE
Overall Record: 11-11
Home Record: 11-4
Away Record: 0-7

SCOUTING THE BIG BLUES
After getting off to a 6-1 start this season, Bluefield State has cooled off substantially and is just 5-10 since. The Big Blues did coast to an 84-52 win over Carolina University Saturday afternoon at home. Bluefield State has yet to win a road game this season, 0-7. BSU hit 13 three-pointers against Concord earlier this season, led by six from Katrina Davis. Rori Cox and Aerihna Afoa both score 10.1 points per game for the balanced Big Blues. BSU shoots just 37.9 percent from the floor.