Concord Stats -
West Virginia Wesleyan Stats -
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Complete Game Notes
ATHENS, W.Va. - The Concord University men's basketball team plays the first of its final four regular season games when it hosts West Virginia Wesleyan 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in a Mountain East Conference contest at the Carter Center.
LIVE COVERAGE
The Concord University Sports Information Department will have live in-game statistics and live streaming video of Wednesday's matchup.Â
Live Stats
Live Video
SERIES HISTORY: Tied 36-36
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
January 11, 2022: Concord 78 - West Virginia Wesleyan 64 (Buckhannon, W.Va.)
February 16, 2022: Concord 88 - West Virginia Wesleyan 80 (Buckhannon, W.Va.)
January 12, 2022: Concord 76 - West Virginia Wesleyan 59 (Athens, W.Va.)
February 24, 2021: Concord 77 - West Virginia Wesleyan 66 (Buckhannon, W.Va.)
January 13, 2021: Concord 73 - West Virginia Wesleyan (Athens, W.Va.)
CONCORD AT A GLANCE
Overall Record: 13-11
MEC Record: 9-9
Home Record: 6-3
Away Record: 7-7
Neutral Record: 0-1
EFFICIENT EVENING
Behind a showing of 63.8 percent from the field, Concord swept the season series from Bluefield State with a 103-85 win Monday night at home. The display was the highest shooting percentage for the Mountain Lions since shooting a program record 67.3 percent against Wheeling, also at home, in February 2020. The 103 points from CU were a season best, and it was the first time topping 100 points in a regulation game since the same Wheeling game three seasons ago. Graduate guard
Lual Daniel Rahama led six players in double figures as he netted 23 points on 6-of-9 shooting and made 9-of-10 foul shots. The six players in double figures were one shy of matching a season high when Concord put seven players in double digits in January versus West Liberty.
JUMP ON THE BOARDS
Concord held a distinct 51-26 advantage on the boards against Bluefield State as it outrebounded the Big Blues by 25 or more for the second time in the last three meetings. Senior forward
Jevon Laidler led the way with 10 rebounds to go with 19 points for his first career double-double. Rahama and fifth-year senior forward
Da'Vion Moore added nine rebounds each. Moore tossed in 14 points as he just missed his own double-double. The +25 rebounding margin was the best of the 2022-23 season for the Maroon and Gray. Monday night marked the seventh time this season that Concord has had a rebounding advantage of at least 10, and the second time outrebounding an opponent by 20—CU was +20 at Frostburg State in December.
SECOND HALF SQUAD
For the second time in four games, the Mountain Lions scored 50 or more points in a half after scoring 52 in a loss at Fairmont State February 4. CU posted 57 points in the second half of Monday's victory. And counting the 58 points that Concord scored in the second half and overtime versus Wheeling last Wednesday, CU has scored 55 or more points in the second halves of three of the last four games. Junior guard
JJ Harper led Monday's surge with all 15 of his points after halftime. Rahama tallied 13 of his 23 in the second half. Earlier this season, the Mountain Lions came back from a 43-38 deficit as they outscored West Virginia Wesleyan 40-21 in the second half of a 78-64 victory.
BALANCING ACT
In the win at West Virginia Wesleyan, CU had five players finish in double figures—one of seven instances this season Concord has had at five or more players with 10 or more points. From Monday night, senior guard
Ethan Heller (13) and sophomore forward
Amare Smith (11) rounded out the double-figure scorers. Harper was an efficient 6-for-9 from the field in scoring 18 points at WVWC. Smith came off the bench with 16 points. Just like Monday night when Rahama went for 23 points, nine rebounds and six assists, the Newport News, Virginia native filled up the box score with 12 points, nine boards and a career-best seven assists at Wesleyan. Heller chipped in 11 and Laidler had 10 points and eight rebounds. CU is 5-2 this season when five or more players score in double figures.
SPECIALTY POINTS
Concord was a very respectable 47.4 percent from the floor in its win over West Virginia Wesleyan January 11 while holding the Bobcats to 41.1 percent shooting. Where the Maroon and Gray was most effective was in second-chance points (21) and points off turnovers (20) as 41 of the 78 points came specialized. The 21 second-chance points tied a season high set at Frostburg State, and the 20 points off turnovers were the third most this season. CU had 14 offensive rebounds on its way to a 45-27 rebounding margin and forced 16 WVWC turnovers, which were the second most forced by Concord this season—19 by Glenville State are the most of the 2022-23 season.
IMPORTANT WEEK AHEAD
Three of the final four games for the Mountain Lions in the MEC regular season are against teams that are within one or two games of the Maroon and Gray in the standings. Concord is 9-9 in the MEC, seventh, while Saturday's opponent Davis & Elkins is 8-10, eighth. Next week's teams West Virginia State (11-7) and Glenville State (10-8) are fourth and sixth in the standings. WVWC allows 51.4 percent shooting and 85 points per game which potentially could be a launching pad for Concord in the runup to the MEC Tournament during the first week of March. Concord has won six straight games versus West Virginia Wesleyan—the longest streak since a six-game winning streak from 2005-2009.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
36- With the six straight wins, Concord has tied the all-time series with WVWC at 36-36.
49.1- Percentage shot by Concord in last year's 76-59 home win over Wesleyan.
63.8- CU's field-goal percentage from Monday night is the third best in the MEC this season.
WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN AT A GLANCE
Overall Record: 2-21
MEC Record: 2-16
Home Record: 2-9
Away Record: 0-11
Neutral Record: 0-1
SCOUTING THE BOBCATS
West Virginia Wesleyan's Darius Green needed 28 shots to 25 points against Concord in January. Green is averaging 16.4 points per game contest which ranks 10
th in the MEC. The Bobcats are looking for their first road win of the season as their latest setback came at West Virginia State, 84-61, Saturday afternoon. Anthony Craven averages 11.7 points per game, but has missed five games this winter. Tyler Slone scored 16 points versus Concord in the first meeting of the season.
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