Concord Takes Momentum Into Matchup at Salem

Concord Stats - Salem Stats - Live Stats - Live Video - Complete Game Notes

ATHENS, W.Va. - Winners of consecutive home games, the Concord University men's basketball team heads back out on the road for a 4:00 p.m. Saturday non-conference clash with Salem inside T. Edward Davis Gymnasium.

LIVE COVERAGE
The Salem Sports Information Department will have live statistics and live video of the game. 

Live Stats
Live Video

SERIES HISTORY: Salem leads 45-37

LAST FIVE MEETINGS VERSUS SALEM
February 10, 2024: Concord 100 - Salem 92 (Athens, W.Va.)
November 29, 2023: Concord 72 - Salem 56 (Salem, W.Va.)
January 16, 2023: Salem 84 - Concord 68 (Salem, W.Va.)
December 9, 2018: Concord 93 - Salem 76 (Salem, W.Va.)
January 14, 2010: Concord 67 - Salem 55 (Salem, W.Va.)

CONCORD AT A GLANCE
Overall Record: 2-4
MEC Record: 2-1
Home Record: 2-0
Away Record: 0-4

THREE-POINT BARRAGE
The Mountain Lions hit for a season-high 12 three-pointers versus Point Park in the 88-69 win Wednesday night. It was the first time that CU connected on a dozen or more three-pointers since December 2022 in a home win over Fairmont State. Concord shot a blistering 52.2 percent from three-point distance versus Point Park—the highest percentage with at least 20 attempts since last year's home win over Glenville State. Freshman guard Josiah Rickards and senior forward Amare Smith accounted for half of CU's three-pointers as both went 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. Rickards tied his career high with three made three-pointers while Smith notched his sixth career game with at least three made triples. Freshman forward Kraig Gilbert and junior forward Ken Sallee both knocked in a pair of three-pointers against Point Park.

BENCH MOB
Rickards and Sallee led the Concord reserve effort as Sallee was one of five players to finish in double figures in the contest with 10 points in 22 minutes off the bench. Rickards registered nine points and three assists in 27 minutes in a reserve role. CU's bench is averaging 22.5 points per game this season, and has scored at least 20 points in five of six games. While he hasn't started a game this season, Sallee is averaging 6.5 points per game while shooting 42.4 percent from the floor and 41.2 percent from three-point range (7-for-17). Sophomore forward Boubacar Djigo was called into action to play a career-high 25 minutes versus Point Park as he finished with a personal single-game best 10 rebounds, all defensive, in the victory.

HOLD 'EM DOWN
Even though the Mountain Lions were hot from three-point range and scored 88 or more points for the fourth straight game, Concord's defense was stout versus Point Park. CU held the Pioneers to 31 percent from the floor and 29.4 percent from three-point distance. Over the last two games, the Maroon and Gray has limited the opposition, Point Park and West Virginia State, to 7-for-26 from behind the arc (26.9 percent). Meanwhile, the 31 percent that Concord limited PPU to was the lowest shooting percent for a Mountain Lions opponent since last year's season opener when CU locked down nationally-ranked IUP to 26.8 percent shooting. And even though Point Park collected 20 offensive rebounds, the Mountain Lions were only outscored by two points, 17-15, in second-chance points.

BACKCOURT BACK TOGETHER
For the first time since November 16, senior guard Corey Boston and junior guard Kollin Tolbert were on the floor at the same time. Boston was forced to miss three straight games due to injury. Tolbert (23.8) and Boston (14.3) are Concord's top-two scorers. The CU backcourt is the highest scoring pair of guards in the Mountain East Conference at 38.1 points per game. Against Point Park, Boston (18) and Tolbert (17) combined for 35 points Wednesday while notching six assists and just two turnovers. Between them. Boston (4.0) and Tolbert (3.5) both lead Concord in assists and in steals as they are gobbling up a total of five steals per game. Both Boston and Tolbert are shooting at least 45 percent from the field, helping lead to CU's team percentage of 45.4, fifth in the MEC.

DIFFERENT WAYS
Concord swept Salem last season, but did so in two different ways. CU captured a 72-56 victory at Salem in late November before hanging 100 points in a 100-92 win versus the Tigers in February. At Salem, the Mountain Lions held SU to 20 points in the first half and a shooting percentage of 32.9, and a 3-for-20 showing from three-point range. Concord's bench was strong with Boston (13) and sophomore guard Georges Archer (12) combining for 25 points, also both career highs at the time. CU built up an 11-point lead at home versus Salem before holding off the Tigers late. Salem shot 49.2 percent from floor at the Carter Center, but the Mountain Lions outscored SU 31-23 at the foul line, despite Salem taking more attempts (40-39). Tolbert and graduate guard Jordan Wooden both scored 19 points while Diop added 14 points.  

FIND THE SHOOTERS
Salem shoots 35 percent from three-point range as three Tigers pace the effort. Jack Garrison is stroking 51.7 percent from three-point range (15-for-29). Entering the first matchup with Concord last season, Garrison was shooting 43.7 percent from three-point range (14-of-32), but CU locked down the sharp shooter to 1-of-6. In the return game at the Carter Center, Garrison only made 3-for-8 on three-point tries. One-time Notre Dame College player Jalen Barnes has made eight of his 17 tries from three-point range (41.7 percent) while Tyree Davis is 10-for-28 (35.7 percent) from beyond the arc. Since the start of the 2022-23 season, Concord is 27-8 when holding the opponent to less than 35 percent from three-point distance. CU shot less than 20 percent from three-point range at Salem last season, but scored half its points in the paint (36 of 72).

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
5- Double-figures for CU against Point Park which was the first time having five double-figure scorers this season.

18- Career high points for Boston versus Point Park.

+25- Combined rebounding margin for Concord in two games versus Salem last season.

SALEM AT A GLANCE
Overall Record: 1-6
Home Record: 0-2
Away Record: 0-3
Neutral Record: 1-1

SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Salem's lone win came against Shippensburg, 107-91, in a neutral-floor meeting at Frostburg State to start the season. Davis is SU's leading scorer, tossing in 13.4 points per game. Jalen Barnes adds 11.2 points per game. DJ Harrell (10.9), Kevin Constant (10.4) and Isaac James (10.3) make it five double-figure scorers for the Tigers. Salem is allowing 86.0 points per game. SU is also getting outrebounded by more than eight boards per contest.