Concord Looks to Rebound in Road Contest at West Virginia Wesleyan

Concord Stats – West Virginia Wesleyan Stats – Live Stats – Live Video – Complete Game Notes
 
ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University women's basketball team finishes a two-game road stretch to begin 2024 as it faces West Virginia Wesleyan in a Mountain East Conference matchup at the Rockefeller Center Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
The West Virginia Wesleyan College Sports Information Department will provide live video and statistics for Wednesday's game.
 
LIVE STATS
 
LIVE VIDEO
 
SERIES HISTORY
Concord leads 26-19
 
LAST FIVE MEETINGS AGAINST WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN
February 15, 2023: W.Va. Wesleyan 64 – Concord 60 (Athens, W.Va.)
January 11, 2023: W.Va. Wesleyan 70 – Concord 58 (Buckhannon, W.Va.)
February 16, 2022: Concord 73 – W.Va. Wesleyan 61 (Buckhannon, W.Va.)
January 12, 2022: Concord 65 – W.Va. Wesleyan 53 (Athens, W.Va.)
February 24, 2021: W.Va. Wesleyan 67 – Concord 56 (Buckhannon, W.Va.)
 
CONCORD AT A GLANCE
2023-24 Record: 5-6
MEC Record: 2-3
Home Record: 3-2
Away Record: 2-3
Neutral Record:  0-1
 
NIGHT IN, NIGHT OUT
Sophomore forward Abbie Smith has emerged as one of CU's most consistent players on both ends of the floor this season. The Little Hocking, Ohio native has six double-doubles this season, all coming from points and rebounds. Smith leads the MEC in rebounds per game (9.1) and is third in the league in total rebounds (100). Her mark of 9.1 rebounds per game ranks her in the top 40 across Division II, with her offensive rebounding tying her for seventh (4.4 offensive rebounds per game) in the country. Also, she is second on the team in points per game (13.4) and ninth in the MEC. In 42 career games in the Maroon and Gray, Smith has 15 career double-doubles and five career 20-point scoring outings.
 
FILLING THE STAT SHEET
Junior transfer guard Skylar Davidson has cemented herself as the starting point guard for the Mountain Lions through her first 11 games this season. Davidson, who previously played at Glenville State during its national championship run in 2022, finds herself atop two statistical categories in the MEC this winter. She ranks second in the conference averaging 4.2 assists per game and has amassed a career-high of eight assists twice this season. Davidson also cracks the top five in steals per game, as she ranks third at 2.8 steals per game. Her 10.2 points per game ranks third among other active Mountain Lions in 2023-24.
 
SECOND HALF ADJUSTMENTS
The Mountain Lions have made some key adjustments this season in crunch time. CU is holding opponents to just 37.3 percent from the floor in the fourth quarter over its last four games, including holding Emory & Henry to just 27.2 percent in the final quarter of play. Additionally, Concord is outscoring opponents 84-61 across the final 10 minutes of regulation in those four games. CU owns an eight-point advantage over opponents in the fourth quarter this season and a 31-point advantage in the second half in 11 games played.  
 
DOUBLE-DIGIT DOMAIN
Since being held to just seven points on November 18 against Charleston, senior guard Jaisah Smith has scored in double-digits in seven straight games, notching at least 20 points twice. Through the first four games this season, Smith was shooting just 38 percent from the floor and averaging 11.0 points per game. Since then, she has gone 40-for-82 from the field (48.7 percent) and currently ranks sixth in the MEC going for 14.4 points per game. Also, she has knocked down at least six free throws in three of her last four contests and is 19-for-23 from the line (82.6 percent). Smith currently sits at 944 points in her career, 56 away from being CU's 21^st 1,000-point scorer.  
 
PREVIOUS MATCHUPS
CU lost the season series against the Bobcats last season, as WVWC defeated the Mountain Lions both times they faced off. It was the first time in the series history that W.Va. Wesleyan won two games over Concord in the same season. A. Smith was the leading scorer for CU in both games last winter, posting a 21-point performance at the Rockefeller Center and a 19-point, 13-rebound double-double inside the Carter Center. Graduate guard Nakaila Gray is the only other returning Mountain Lion from last season to score in double figures against the Bobcats. Junior guard Shelby Genes (28 points) and Emma Witt (23 points) both had 20-point performances against Concord a season ago and return to face CU on Wednesday.  
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
8 – Third-quarter lead changes in last year's meeting against W.Va. Wesleyan at the Rockefeller Center
11 – Offensive rebounding advantage for CU last year against WVWC
56 – Points away from 1,000 for Jaisah Smith in her career
 
WEST VIRGNINA WESLEYAN AT A GLANCE
2023-24 Record: 2-7
MEC Record: 0-5
Home Record: 2-4
Away Record: 0-3
Neutral Record:  0-0
 
SCOUTING THE BOBCATS
WVWC began the season 2-0, but has since found itself in a seven-game losing skid, including an 0-5 start to MEC Conference play. Witt leads the Bobcats in scoring, falling just outside the top 10 in the conference at 13.1 points per game. She also ranks fifth in free-throw percentage in the MEC, shooting 77.1 percent from the charity stripe (27-for-35). Freshman guard Sydney Baird is the only other Bobcat to average double digits scoring (10.6 points per game) this season. Baird also lead the team in assists per game (3.0). Junior forward Desiree Roy leads the team in rebounding (5.3 per game) and blocks per game (0.9).