SALEM, W.Va. – The Concord University men's basketball team won its third straight game with an 82-64 win over Salem Saturday afternoon in a non-conference contest at T. Edward Davis Gymnasium.
The Mountain Lions (3-4) never trailed in the game as it got out to a 15-4 lead through six minutes after two free throws from junior forward
Rene Diop. The lead swelled to 15 points, 28-13, at the 7:38 mark after freshman forward
Kraig Gilbert drained a three-pointer.
CU's advantage remained double digits until an offensive stickback got Salem within 38-30 with just over a minute left to play in the first half. Another bucket reduced the lead to 38-32, but senior guard
Corey Boston beat the halftime buzzer with a baseline jumper to push the lead back to eight at halftime.
Leading 51-42 with 15:34 remaining, the Mountain Lions clipped off a 10-3 run over the next 3:31 to lead 61-45 after a bucket from Diop. Gilbert added a second three-pointer during the run while Boston had an old-school three-point play.
Salem made one last run at Concord as it trimmed the margin to 68-61 with 7:22 remaining, but CU restored a double-digit lead at the 4:50 mark after a layup from Gilbert on its way to the 18-point win.
For the second straight game, the Maroon and Gray put five players in double figures. Gilbert led the way with his first career double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds. Diop added a second double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Boston netted 13 points to go with four rebounds and a team-best four assists. Junior guard
Kollin Tolbert recorded 11 points, and senior forward
Amare Smith has scored in double figures in all seven games this year after scoring 10 points Saturday.
Led by Diop and Gilbert, the Mountain Lions owned a 49-26 advantage on the glass. Tolbert added five rebounds.
CU scored 42 points in the paint and was 18-for-21 at the foul line (85.7 percent).
Both teams shot 43 percent for the game, but the Maroon and Gray outscored the Tigers 20-5 in second-chance points, and limited Salem to 4-of-22 from three-point range (18.2 percent).
Concord travels to Frostburg State 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in a return to Mountain East Conference action.
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