Concord Readies for MEC Tournament Clash Against Notre Dame

Concord Stats - Notre Dame Stats - Live Stats - Live Video - Complete Game Notes

ATHENS, W.Va. - The Concord University women's basketball team gears up for its Mountain East Conference Tournament game against Notre Dame 12:00 p.m. Wednesday at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, West Virginia.

LIVE COVERAGE
The Mountain East Conference will have live in-game statistics of the game. The MEC in conjunction with West Virginia MetroNews will have live video throughout the tournament. 

Live Stats
Live Video

SERIES HISTORY: Notre Dame leads 16-5

LAST FIVE MEETINGS
January 25, 2023: Concord 67 - Notre Dame 50 (South Euclid, Ohio)
December 3, 2022: Concord 77 - Notre Dame 64 (Athens, W.Va.)
March 3, 2022: Notre Dame 69 - Concord 59 (Wheeling, W.Va.)
January 26, 2022: Concord 56 - Notre Dame 50 (Athens, W.Va.)
December 4, 2021: Notre Dame 82 - Concord 78 (2OT) (South Euclid, Ohio)

CONCORD AT A GLANCE
Overall Record: 12-16
MEC Record: 9-13
Home Record: 7-6
Away Record: 4-9
Neutral Record: 1-1

BURNING THE NETS
The Mountain Lions shot a season-best 52.6 percent from the floor in their 86-81 loss to nationally-ranked, fourth-rated Glenville State Saturday afternoon. It was the first time this season that Concord shot 50 percent or better from the field with the previous best mark coming on the road at Charleston (49.0 percent). Against GSU, junior guard Jaisah Smith poured in a season-best 25 points on 9-for-15 shooting. Junior guard Nakaila Gray (11 points) and freshman forward Abbie Smith (13 points) combined for 8-for-12 from the field. CU also connected on 85.7 percent (18-of-21) of its free throws Saturday, marking the fifth time this season that the Maroon and Gray has shot 85 percent or better at the charity stripe. Graduate guard Maggie Guynn (third/80.9), J. Smith (fourth/79.8) and A. Smith (sixth/78.2) are among the best foul shooters in the MEC.

PLAYING THE BEST
In the final week of the regular season, CU upset West Virginia State who was on the fringe of being nationally-ranked before taking Glenville State to the wire Saturday afternoon. Concord played GSU to within a combined 14 points after losing by nine points on the road. The only other team to play Glenville State closer was West Virginia State (-4 margin). J. Smith averaged 20 points per game last week as she shot 53.8 percent from the field while making all 10 foul shots she attempted. Junior guard Maddie Ratcliff played some of her best basketball of the season over the final couple weeks. The Pulaksi, Virginia native averaged 9.8 points and 3.4 assists per game over the final seven games of the regular season, including 17 points and 13 points last week.

FAMILIAR FACE
Wednesday's matinee will be the second straight year that Concord faces Notre Dame in the MEC Tournament. Last season, the fifth-seeded Falcons took down CU 69-59 in the MEC Quarterfinals. Ratcliff was the best player on the floor for the Mountain Lions as she posted 16 points and six rebounds off the bench. J. Smith just missed a double-double with eight points and nine rebounds. Guynn added eight points. The game turned into a defensive struggle as both teams shot below 40 percent from the field. The Mountain Lions held a 38-34 rebounding edge in the game, but was unable to keep NDC off the foul line as the Falcons got to the charity stripe 23 times to Concord's 15.

REBOUNDING WAR
In Concord's regular-season sweep of Notre Dame—by scores of 77-64 and 67-50—the Maroon and Gray held lopsided rebounding advantages. At home in December, CU nearly doubled up the Falcons on the boards, 48-25. Senior forward Lauryn Avery grabbed a career-best 10 rebounds while graduate forward Alexis Phillips and A. Smith added 10 boards apiece. The Mountain Lions had its highest rebounding margin of the season at Notre Dame at the end of January, +31 (52-21). A. Smith nearly outrebounded Notre Dame by herself as she pulled down a career-best 18 rebounds to go with 13 points. Gray had a then career-best 10 rebounds off the bench. The Mountain Lions have the second-best rebounding margin in the MEC (+4.4) while Notre Dame is 12^th (-8.5).

ADDED DEPTH
In both wins over Notre Dame during the regular season, the Maroon and Gray bench played a pivotal role in the victories as it outscored NDC's reserves 70-27. In December, the bench scored 42 points for CU. Ratcliff netted 15 points on 6-for-9 shooting. Gray was a perfect 4-of-4 from the floor in recording 12 points. Concord's reserves added another 28 points in January's 17-point win. Guynn came off the bench with 17 points on 7-for-11 shooting. Phillips nearly had a double-double with nine points and seven rebounds. CU's bench has scored 20 or more points 19 times this season, and just missed the mark last week with 17 points and 18 points versus West Virginia State and Glenville State, respectively.

DEFENSIVE MINDSET
The Mountain Lions have put together some of their best defensive performances to conclude the regular season as they have gone five straight games and seven of the last nine games holding the opposition to 40 percent or less shooting. And since losing the rebounding battle at Glenville State on January 21, CU has only been outrebounded once in the final 11 games of the season, 34-30 at Davis & Elkins. On January 25, Concord held Notre Dame to 27.1 percent shooting. Concord is fourth in the MEC in field-goal defense (40.1 percent) while Notre Dame is 12^th, giving up 45.7 percent from the floor. The Mountain Lions shot 47 percent in both wins over NDC this season.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
10- Charges taken by Gray this season after standing in for a charge versus Glenville State.

77- Minutes CU has had the lead against Notre Dame this season as the two games featured one combined lead change.

1,561- Points by Guynn heading into Wednesday, eight away from moving into eighth on the scoring list at Concord.

NOTRE DAME AT A GLANCE
Overall Record: 7-21
MEC Record: 6-16
Home Record: 4-8
Away Record: 3-11
Neutral Record: 0-2

SCOUTING THE FALCONS
Notre Dame won on the road Saturday at Alderson Broaddus to clinch its postseason spot in a winner-clinching scenario for both teams. All-MEC performer Alana Ellis is averaging 14.8 points per game which is 12^th in the conference. The victory against AB also snapped a five-game losing streak for the Falcons. Noel Weathers averages 11 points and seven rebounds. Marina Adachia shoots 39.1 percent from three-point range and scores 10.6 points per game. Of the 69 points scored by the Falcons last season versus CU in the MEC Tournament, only 26 points return to the floor this year.