Concord Hosts West Virginia State in Home Finale

Concord Stats – West Virginia State Stats – Live Video – Live Stats – Complete Game Notes
 
ATHENS, W.Va. - The Concord University women's basketball team plays its final home game of the regular season when it welcomes West Virginia State to the Carter Center 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in a Mountain East Conference clash.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
The Concord University Sports Information Department will provide live video and statistics for Wednesday's game.
 
LIVE VIDEO
 
LIVE STATS
 
SERIES HISTORY
Concord leads 37-21
 
LAST FIVE MEETINGS AGAINST WEST VIRGINIA STATE
November 21, 2023: Concord 70 – West Virginia State 57 (Institute, W.Va.)
March 2, 2023: Concord 86 – West Virginia State 83 (OT) (Wheeling, W.Va.)
February 22, 2023: Concord 82 – West Virginia State 71 (Athens, W.Va.)
November 22, 2022: West Virginia State 95 – Concord 70 (Institute, W.Va.)
February 23, 2022: Concord 101 – West Virginia State 95 (OT) (Institute, W.Va.)
 
CONCORD AT A GLANCE
2023-24 Record: 15-11
MEC Record: 10-8
Home Record: 9-3
Away Record: 6-7
Neutral Record: 0-1
 
INSIDE AND OUT
On Saturday at West Liberty, the Mountain Lions received 55 combined points from sophomore forward Abbie Smith (30 points) and junior guard Skylar Davidson (25). Both players set career highs in scoring. For Smith, she became the first CU player with a 30-point game since Riley Fitzwater posted 31 points in January 2022, also against West Liberty. Smith shot 12-for-19 from the floor and added 10 rebounds for her MEC-leading 11th double-double of the season. Davidson nearly recorded a triple-double as she added a career-high nine assists to go with eight rebounds versus the Hilltoppers. Davidson had only scored 27 points in the previous three games combined before Saturday's explosion that included a 9-of-16 showing from the field and a 7-for-10 effort at the foul line. The 55 combined points are the most for a pair of CU players since Fitzwater and current CU assistant coach Madison Heller combined for 55 in a win over Glenville State March 2020.
 
CENTURY MARK HISTORY
For the fourth time this season, CU scored 90 or more points in a game, but in scoring 103 points at WLU, it was the first time scoring 100 points this season. The last time Concord scored 100 or more points was two Februarys ago in a 101-95 overtime win at West Virginia State. The last time the Maroon and Gray hit the century mark in a regulation game was February 2021, also at West Virginia State. The four times scoring 90 or more points in 2023-24 is the most since CU scored at least 90 points five times during the 2018-19 campaign. The Mountain Lions shot their third-highest percentage for the season at West Liberty (46.3).
 
BALANCING ACT
Led by Davidson and Smith, Concord put six players in double figures at West Liberty, marking the first time this season with six players going for double digits in the scoring column. For the seventh time in the last 10 games, junior guard/forward Deja Atkinson scored in double figures as she matched her career high with 16 points. Graduate guard Nakaila Gray tallied 11 points for her third straight game finishing in double figures. Freshman guard Ana Young went 4-for-7 at West Liberty and hit three-pointers on her way to 10 points. It was the third consecutive game for Young with multiple triples. And graduate guard Jazz Blankenship moved into ninth on the all-time three-pointer list at CU with 132 as she netted 10 points at WLU. Saturday marked the third straight game that CU has had five or more players in double figures.
 
SUCCESS VERSUS STATE
Concord enters Wednesday night having won 11 of the last 14 all-time meetings with West Virginia State as CU holds a 37-21 lead in the all-time series after the 70-57 victory over the Yellow Jackets in November. On November 21, Concord led by as much as 21 points as it knocked off then nationally-ranked, number 13 WVSU. Senior guard Jaisah Smith notched 20 points. A. Smith finished with a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds while graduate forward Alexis Phillips added 10 points. Davidson only scored three points, but collected a career-high 10 rebounds and registered five assists. A. Smith is averaging 16.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game in four career games versus West Virginia State. Gray had her only career double-double (15 points, 11 rebounds) in last year's home win over WVSU.
 
HOLD ON TIGHTLY
Concord and West Virginia State combine to force more than 48 turnovers per game. West Virginia State is second in the MEC and fourth in Division II turnovers forced per game (26.9). CU is fourth in the conference and sits 15th nationally in turnovers forced per game (22.5). Of the turnovers, 15.4 on average turn into live ball steals per game for WVSU, third in Division II. Concord comes up with 13.0 steals per game, 10th in Division II. Davidson is fourth in the MEC in steals per game (2.8) while Gray is just behind in fifth (2.7). The top player in steals for the Yellow Jackets is Hallie Bailey (1.9 per game) with Emyah Fortenberry and Imani Reid both adding 1.7 per game.
 
BOARD BATTLE
Another similarity with Concord and West Virginia State is the ability to offensive rebound. WVSU leads Division II in offensive rebounds per game (22.1) while Concord is 12th in the country with 15.9 offensive boards per contest. A. Smith ranks second in the MEC in total rebounds per game (8.3) with WVSU's Emyah Fortenberry sitting third (8.0 rebounds per game). Phillips ranks 14th in the MEC in rebounds per game (6.2). A. Smith (3.7) and Fortenberry (3.4) combine for 7.1 offensive rebounds per game. In the November contest, CU grabbed 16 offensive rebounds while WVSU notched 27. The rebounding margin finished tied, 53-53. And since being held to a season-low eight offensive rebounds by West Virginia Wesleyan, West Virginia State has 20 or more offensive rebounds in seven of its last 10 games.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
20 – Career double-doubles for A. Smith after 30 points and 10 rebounds at West Liberty
42 – Combined turnovers between Concord and West Virginia State in November.
134 – By suiting up Wednesday night, Blankenship will tie former teammate Maggie Guynn for the most games played at CU with 134.
 
WEST VIRGINIA STATE AT A GLANCE
2023-24 Record: 17-9
MEC Record: 12-6
Home Record: 8-4
Away Record: 8-5
Neutral Record: 1-0
 
SCOUTING THE YELLOW JACKETS
West Virginia State comes to the Carter Center as one of the hottest teams in the MEC, having won four straight games and seven of its last eight. A well-balanced scoring attack, seven players averaging between 6.8 points and 11.5 points per game, is paced Anysa Jordan's 11.5 points per game. Shelby Harmeyer adds 11.3 points per game as she has knocked down 73 three-pointers, second most in the MEC. ZZ Russell scores 9.4 points per game.