Concord Set for Rivalry Game at Bluefield State

Concord Stats - Bluefield State Stats - Live Video - Live Stats - Complete Game Notes

ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University women's basketball team takes on Mercer County rival Bluefield State for a non-conference matchup at Ned E. Shott Gymnasium Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
The Bluefield State Sports Information Department will provide live video and statistics for Wednesday's contest.
 
LIVE VIDEO
 
LIVE STATS
 
SERIES HISTORY
CU leads 40-16
 
LAST FIVE MEETINGS AGAINST BLUEFIELD STATE
February 5, 2024: Concord 72 – Bluefield State 53 (Bluefield, W.Va.)
November 15, 2023: Concord 74 – Bluefield State 73 (OT) (Athens, W.Va.)
February 13, 2023: Concord 70 – Bluefield State 63 (Athens, W.Va.)
November 15, 2022: Bluefield State 80 – Concord 74 (Bluefield, W.Va.)
February 14, 2022: Concord 75 – Bluefield State 68 (Bluefield, W.Va.)
 
CONCORD AT A GLANCE
2024-25 Record: 1-2
Home Record: 1-0
Away Record: 0-1
Neutral Record: 0-1
 
AWARDING PERFORMANCE
Junior forward Abbie Smith was tabbed Mountain East Conference Player of the Week after scoring 18 points and hauling in 20 rebounds against UVa.-Wise last week. 15 of Smith's boards came on the offensive glass, leading to a game-tying putback with 17 seconds left in regulation that sent the game into overtime. Her 20 rebounds ties the most in a single game in Division II this season. On the season, Smith is averaging a 16.3 points per game and grabbing 11.7 rebounds per game. Monday marked the Little Hocking, Ohio native's first MEC Player of the Week award in her career.
 
SPREAD THE LOVE
Alongside Smith's 18 points four other Mountain Lions scored in double figures in senior guard Sanaiya Morris (16), junior guard Kennedy Scales (15), senior guard Skylar Davidson (14), and junior forward Imani Hickman (13). When looking at clutch scoring this season for CU, Scales, Smith, and Morris lead the Maroon and Gray with four points when a game is within 10 points and under three minutes to go and overtime. Davidson (three points) and Hickman (two points) also appear on the list. 
 
FROM DOWNTOWN
While controlling the offensive glass against UVa.-Wise, CU also used nine three-point baskets to its advantage. Concord wasted no time, connecting on four three-point buckets in the first quarter to build a five-point advantage. Scales knocked down back-to-back three-pointers in the frame on her way to a new career-best 15 points. The Mountain Lions made four more triples throughout regulation while Scales made the only attempted three-pointer in overtime just over one minute into the period. Sophomore guard Madison Young and Davidson also chipped in two three-pointers each.
 
AN EXTRA FIVE
With the 84-78 overtime victory against UVa.-Wise, CU head coach Tesla Southcott moves to 4-0 in overtime games as the leader of the Maroon and Gray. Other overtime games include a 74-73 home victory over Bluefield State last winter, a 74-63 road victory over Frostburg State in December 2022, and an 86-83 thriller to take down West Virginia State in the 2023 MEC Tournament. Smith has excelled in overtime games, averaging 12.0 points per contest and scored her career-high of 29 points in the overtime win over WVSU. Last season, CU erased a 10-point deficit against Bluefield State with five minutes left to force OT and sealed the win with a steal from Davidson into a fastbreak layup by Maddie Ratcliff.
 
FULL COURT PRESSURE
Both Concord and Bluefield State are active on the defensive end with the Mountain Lions forcing 24.7 opponent turnovers and the Big Blues coming away with 34.0 opponent turnovers this season. The defensive battle will be led by Concord's Davidson (3.7 steals per game) and BSU's senior guard Azariah Binford (4.3 steals per game). Davidson tied her career-high of six steals against Seton Hill while Binford swiped away seven steals against Central State. Bluefield State has forced opponents into at least 32 turnovers in all four games played this winter with MEC opponent Glenville State turning the ball over 37 times against the BSU pressure.
 
SECOND CHANCES
CU (39.7) holds a close margin over BSU (39.0) in rebounds per game heading into Wednesday's contest despite having a major advantage on the offensive glass. Of Concord's 119 total rebounds this season, 58 (48.7 percent) have come on the offensive side, generating 46 second chance points. Of the Mountain Lions' 48 rebounds against UVa.-Wise, 27 were offensive boards that led to 24 second chance points. While the Big Blues haven't hauled in as many offensive rebounds as Concord, both teams are averaging the same amount of second chance points per game (15.3).
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
13.5 – Points per game for Abbie Smith vs. Bluefield State in her career
54 – CU combined bench points in two games against BSU last season
66.7 - Kennedy Scales' three-point percentage this season (four-for-six)
 
BLUEFIELD STATE AT A GLANCE
2024-25 Record: 2-2
Home Record: 2-0
Away Record: 0-2
Neutral Record: 0-0
 
SCOUTING THE BIG BLUES
After winning its first two games this season at home, BSU has dropped its last two contests on the road against Clayton State and Glenville State. Senior forward Jayla Sample leads the Big Blues averaging 14.8 points per game, followed by junior guard Tianna Rhodes scoring 12.8 points per game and shooting a team-high 45.5 percent from the floor.