Concord Returns Home to Challenge Glenville State

Concord Stats – Glenville State Stats – Live Video – Live Stats – Complete Game Notes
 
ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University women's basketball team starts a two-game homestand against Glenville State and its seven-game win streak in a Mountain East Conference matchup at the Carter Center Saturday at 2:00 p.m.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
The Concord University Sports Information Department will provide live video and statistics for Saturday's game.
 
LIVE VIDEO
 
LIVE STATS
 
SERIES HISTORY
Glenville State leads 44-12
 
LAST FIVE MEETINGS AGAINST GLENVILLE STATE
February 25, 2023: Glenville State 86 – Concord 81 (Athens, W.Va.)
January 21, 2023: Glenville State 78 – Concord 69 (Glenville, W.Va.)
February 26, 2022: Glenville State 96 – Concord 53 (Glenville, W.Va.)
January 22, 2022: Glenville State 105 – Concord 67 (Athens, W.Va.)
February 27, 2021: Concord 97 – Glenville State 86 (Athens, W.Va.)
 
CONCORD AT A GLANCE
2023-24 Record: 9-7
MEC Record: 6-4
Home Record: 5-2
Away Record: 4-4
Neutral Record: 0-1
 
BRING OUT THE BROOMS
Wednesday's 70-58 victory on the road against Charleston clinched the regular season series against UC, something Concord hadn't been able to do since the 2011-12 season. The Mountain Lions stifled the Golden Eagles at the Carter Center in November, holding Charleston to 30.3 percent from the floor and 20 percent from three-point range. Concord outscored UC 21-10 in the final frame after trailing by one point at the end of the third quarter for the win. Wednesday's meeting shared many similarities, as the Mountain Lions held Charleston to 30.3 percent from the floor and just 17.4 percent from three-point distance. Charleston owned a five-game winning streak heading into this season, as CU had not won two straight against the Golden Eagles since that same 2011-12 campaign.  
 
HEATIN' UP
Amidst the regular season series sweep of Charleston, CU used its best shooting performance of the season to down the Golden Eagles on the road. Concord shot 47.5 percent (28-for-59) from the floor in the game, a season-high. In fact, the 47.5 shooting percentage is the first time CU has shot at least 45 percent in a road game since facing off against Glenville State at the Waco Center last January. In the game, sophomore forward Abbie Smith shot 7-for-11 from the field (63.6 percent) to lead the team. Additionally, the Maroon and Gray shot an even 50 percent (7-for-14) from three-point range. Freshman guard Ana Young knocked down both of her three-point attempts, and graduate guard Jazz Blankenship shot 2-for-4 (50 percent) from deep. CU had not shot above 50 percent from three with at least ten shot attempts on the road since February 2020 at Fairmont State (57.1 percent).
 
FAMILIAR FACES, DIFFERENT PLACES
Saturday will pit two players who transferred to Concord from Glenville State against their former team for the first time: junior guard Skylar Davidson and junior guard/forward Deja Atkinson. At GSU, Davidson played two seasons for the Pioneers from 2021-2023, appearing in 69 games and starting in 14 games. Her previous career-high in points was 16, scored against the Mountain Lions at the Waco Center on January 21, 2023. Atkinson was a member of Glenville State for three seasons from 2020-2023, playing in 66 games and starting in nine. Both Davidson and Atkinson were part of the 2021-22 GSU team that won the Division II National Championship and played more 10 minutes a game. The duo has played in all 16 games for CU this season, with Davidson starting in all 16 contests and Atkinson starting in seven straight games heading into Saturday.
 
TURNOVER BATTLE
Both CU and GSU will be applying full-court pressure in Saturday's matchup. In fact, both teams are two of the best defensive turnover teams in the country. Glenville State leads Division II in steals per game (18.9) and places three players, inside the top-40 nationally in individual steals per game: senior guard Hya Haywood (3.4 steals per game), senior guard Kamiyah Lyons (2.4 steals per game), and junior guard Zhordan Shannon (2.4 steals per game). The Pioneers have created over 30 defensive turnovers in each of their last four games. They rank second in the nation in total forced turnovers (565), as well as turnover margin (13.0). On the other side, CU is third in the MEC in steals per game (13.1), good for 13^th nationally. The Mountain Lions have forced 360 total turnovers this season and sport a 3.19 turnover margin. Additionally, Concord has forced opponents into 20 turnovers in 8 of its last 10 games, and has collected double-digit steals in all but 3 games played this winter. Davidson checks in at third in the conference, grabbing 2.9 steals per game.
 
PUSHING THE PAINT
With both teams implementing a high-pressure defense, transition points and points in the paint could be an area of focus. Glenville State presents one of the best forwards in the league in graduate forward Lauren Calhoun. Calhoun is a transfer from Wheeling where she earned All-MEC First Team Honors last year. This season, she is fifth in the MEC averaging 15.5 points per game and is tied for third in the league in rebounding, hauling in 7.8 rebounds per game. In games she has started against Concord, Calhoun is averaging 12.8 points per game and 8.5 rebounds per game. CU's sophomore forward Abbie Smith compares similarly to Calhoun. In two career games against GSU, Smith is averaging 14.5 points per game and 6.5 rebounds per game. She also cracks the top 10 in the MEC, scoring 14.0 points per game and checks in at second in the league in rebounding (8.1 per game).
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
4 – Double digit scorers in both games against Glenville State in 2022-23
35 – Minutes with the lead in Wednesday's 70-58 win at Charleston
49.1 – Combined shooting percentage against the Pioneers last season
 
GLENVILLE STATE AT A GLANCE
2023-24 Record: 13-4
MEC Record: 7-3
Home Record: 5-2
Away Record: 6-2
Neutral Record: 2-0
 
SCOUTNIG THE PIONEERS
Haywood leads the MEC in scoring (18.2 points per game) and steals per game (3.6). She also leads the Pioneers in assists per game (2.8) and free-throw percentage (65.8 percent). Calhoun leads the team in field goal percentage (57.8) and rebounds per game (8.0). Junior guard Dream Cherry leads GSU in long range shooting, as she has made 35 three-point baskets on a 29.4 shooting percentage. First year head coach Emily Stoller comes to Athens on a seven game-winning streak, defeating opponents in that span by an average of 18.5 points per game.