Concord Looks to Complete Season Sweep of Red-Hot Charleston

Concord Stats – Charleston Stats – Live Video – Live Stats – Complete Game Notes
 
ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University women's basketball team heads to the Wehrle Center to face Charleston, and its five-game win streak, for a Mountain East Conference matchup Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
The University of Charleston Sports Information Department will provide live video and statistics for Wednesday's game.
 
LIVE VIDEO
 
LIVE STATS
 
SERIES HISTORY
Charleston leads 45-16
 
LAST FIVE MEETINGS AGAINST CHARLESTON
November 18, 2023: Concord 54 – Charleston 44 (Athens, W.Va.)
March 4, 2023: Charleston 78 – Concord 54 (Wheeling, W.Va.)
January 18, 2023: Charleston 80 – Concord 68 (Charleston, W.Va.)
November 19, 2022: Charleston 72 – Concord 57 (Athens, W.Va.)
January 19, 2022: Charleston 81 – Concord 67 (Athens, W.Va.)
 
CONCORD AT A GLANCE
2023-24 Record: 8-7
MEC Record: 5-4
Home Record: 5-2
Away Record:3-4
Neutral Record: 0-1
 
ROUND FIVE
Two of the MEC's best centers will clash at Wehrle Arena Wednesday: Concord's sophomore forward Abbie Smith and Charleston's senior forward Clarissa Francis. The two have met four times on the hardwood in their respective careers. In her four meetings against Francis and UC, Smith is averaging 13.5 points per game, 7.0 rebounds per game, and 0.5 blocks per game. She swatted two blocks against the Golden Eagles earlier this season, with one against a layup attempt from Francis. Smith has scored in double figures in every game played against Charleston. Francis is averaging 12.5 points per game against Smith and the Mountain Lions, as well as 5.0 rebounds per game. She has scored in double figures against the Mountain Lions in three-of-four games played with Smith on the floor.
 
BOARD BATTLE
Rebounding has been an emphasis of both Charleston and Concord in different ways this season. CU ranks second in the MEC and 42^nd nationally in rebounds per game (41.4). Additionally, the Mountain Lions are third in the conference and seventh nationally in offensive rebounds per game (16.7) and have logged five games this season grabbing 20 or more offensive rebounds. Charleston sits at second in the league in rebounds allowed, only giving up 33.1 rebounds per game. Despite being 10^th in the conference in rebounds per game (34.8), UC owns the fourth best rebounding margin (1.7). When the two met in November, CU outrebounded the Golden Eagles 44-27, the largest rebound margin by Concord this winter (17). Graduate forward Alexis Phillips led CU with 11 rebounds in the game, followed by Smith with seven rebounds. Three of graduate guard Jazz Blankenship's five rebounds in the game came on the offensive end.
 
GETTING TO THE LINE
Concord is getting to the foul line almost more than any other team in the country this season. CU's 23.6 free throws attempted per game falls at seventh across Division II and second in the MEC behind Fairmont State (24.9). The Mountain Lions also check in at eighth nationally in free throws made per game (16.87) and second in the conference, yet again trailing Fairmont State (16.88). CU's 13 free throw attempts against Charleston earlier this season marks its lowest in 2023-24. Despite only going to the line 13 times, the Mountain Lions made 12 to set its highest single-game free throw percentage this season at 92.3 percent. Senior guard Jaisah Smith cracks the top five in the conference in free throw percentage (76.2 percent). As a team, Concord is shooting 72.5 percent (37-for-52) from the stripe with under three minutes left in games.  
 
X-FACTOR
Graduate guard Nakaila Gray does many different things for the Maroon and Gray that might go unnoticed. For the Mountain Lions this season. CU owns a 4-2 record when gray scores in double figures. She has played in all 15 games for Concord and has hauled in at least three rebounds in 12 games, recorded multiple assists in six games, and came away with multiple steals in nine games. Gray also leads the team in three-pointers made (17) and three-point shooting percentage (.415). Additionally, she is 28-for-39 from the free throw line (71.8 percent) and shot 9-for-10 (90 percent) from the charity stripe in the home win over Davis & Elkins. She has scored 15 "clutch time" points this season, defined by points scored in the final three minutes of games when the score is within 10 points.
 
RECORD BOOK WATCH
A couple of Mountain Lions are on the cusp of writing their names into the program record book. J. Smith is no stranger to the record book, becoming the most recent addition to the 1,000-point club last week against West Liberty. She now has the chance to become one of only three players in program history to score 1,000 points, tally 250 assists, and take away 150 steals. Melissa Grose (1994-97) and Jolysa Brown (2008-2012) are the only two Concord players to achieve this feat. With the points and steals already being checked off the list, J. Smith sits 24 assists away from joining the club. Phillips has swatted away 63 blocks in her career at CU. While she is already inside the top 10 in program history, she sits just two blocks away from surpassing Jamie Cluesman (2003-2008) for fifth all-time at 65 blocks. Phillips is fifth in the MEC averaging 1.0 blocks per game this season.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
20.0 – Charleston's three-point percentage in the Carter Center earlier this season
47 – Second chance points scored over the last three games for CU
62.9 – Percentage of Concord's points scored in the paint against Charleston on November 18 (34-of-54)
 
CHARLESTON AT A GLANCE
2023-24 Record: 9-7
MEC Record: 5-4
Home Record: 5-2
Away Record: 3-5
Neutral Record: 1-0
 
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES
Charleston comes into Wednesday's matchup riding a five-game win streak that includes two out-of-conference opponents and three consecutive MEC opponents. In the midst of the streak, Francis caught fire, scoring 23 or more points in back-to-back-to-back games. Francis also leads qualified players in the MEC in field goal percentage (.581) and finds herself back into the top 10 in scoring for the league, averaging 14.1 points per game. Senior guard Nia Vanzant is third in the conference in minutes played per game, staying on the floor around 33.3 minutes per game. Sophomore guard and Marshall University transfer Ksenija Mitric was the only other Golden Eagle to notch double digits alongside Francis in the Carter Center earlier this season.