Concord Stats –
Bluefield State Stats –
Notre Dame Stats –
Complete Game Notes
ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University women's basketball team wraps up a three-game road trip when it visits Mercer County rival Bluefield State 5:30 p.m. Monday in a non-conference game before traveling to Notre Dame 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in a Mountain East Conference contest.
LIVE COVERAGE
The Bluefield State University Sports Information Department will provide live video and statistics for Monday's game, while the Notre Dame College Sports Information Department will provide live video and statistics for Wednesday's contest.
LIVE VIDEO
LIVE STATS
SERIES HISTORY
BSU: Concord leads 39-16
NDC: Notre Dame leads 17-6
LAST FIVE MEETINGS AGAINST BLUEFIELD STATE
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.)
November 16, 2021: Concord 56 – Bluefield State 43 (Athens, W.Va.)
LAST FIVE MEETINGS AGAINST NOTRE DAME
November 2, 2023: Notre Dame 80 – Concord 65 (Athens, W.Va.)
March 1, 2023: Concord 78 – Notre Dame 67 (Wheeling, W.Va.)
January 25, 2023: Concord 67 – Notre Dame 50 (South Euclid, Ohio)
December 3, 2022: Concord 77 – Notre Dame 64 (Athens, W.Va.)
March 3, 2022: Notre Dame 69 – Concord 59 (Wheeling, W.Va.)
CONCORD AT A GLANCE
2023-24 Record: 10-9
MEC Record: 7-6
Home Record: 6-3
Away Record: 4-5
Neutral Record: 0-1
SUPPLEMENTAL SCORING
For much of the season, sophomore forward Abbie Smith and senior guard Jaisah Smith have been ranked inside the top 10 in the MEC in scoring. J. Smith is fifth in the MEC with 15.8 points per game while A. Smith ranks seventh (14.9). As of late though, the Mountain Lions have been getting consistent scoring from junior guard/forward
Deja Atkinson. After only scoring in double figures twice in the first 13 games, Atkinson has netted 10 or more points in three of the last six games, including a career-best 16 points in Wednesday's win over Fairmont State. Atkinson added 15 points Saturday, led by a 7-of-9 showing at the foul line, against Frostburg State. Graduate forward
Alexis Phillips netted 10 points at Frostburg State—her first game in double figures since November 29.
THE SMITHS
A. Smith and J. Smith have put their imprint on this season for the Mountain Lions as the duo combines for 31 points per game—the highest point total for two Concord teammates since Riley Fitzwater and current Concord assistant Madison (May) Heller averaged 38.5 points per game during the 2019-20 season. Both have scored in double figures in 17 of 19 games this season. A. Smith is up over 50 percent shooting this year, hitting 51.6 percent of her shots, fourth in the conference. J. Smith is seventh in field-goal percentage (46.8 percent) in the MEC. A. Smith has shot above 50 percent in six straight games going 45-for-71 (63.3 percent) from the floor in that stretch.
FOUL LINE FRENZY
As part of the scoring for both Smiths this season, they have leaned on their ability to get to the foul line. J. Smith has taken the second-most free throws in the MEC this season (108) where she is shooting 78.7 percent—sixth in the conference. A. Smith has taken the sixth-most foul shots in the conference (95) where she hits 67.4 percent. As a team, Concord is fourth in the league in free-throw percentage (72.2 percent). Concord has attempted 20 or more foul shots in five of the last seven games, including two games of 30 or more attempts. Overall, CU is top 10 in Division II in free throw attempts per game (23.3) and makes per game (16.8).
DOWN, BUT NOT OUT
The Mountain Lions fell behind as much as 18 points in the first half of the November meeting with Bluefield State before winning 74-73 in overtime. The deficit that CU overcame was the largest since January 2021 when it rallied from 19 points versus West Virginia State. The comeback was fueled by making 28 free throws as Concord lined up at the charity stripe 46 times. Concord also got 30 combined points off turnovers (17) and
second-chance (13). And the Mountain Lions outrebounded Bluefield State, 60-48. Defensively, the Maroon and Gray held BSU to 35.2 percent shooting and 28.6 percent from three-point range.
CAREER NIGHT
Four Mountain Lions finished in double figures versus Bluefield State, led by 15 points and a career-best 16 rebounds from Phillips. She finished one-point shy of her career high in scoring. Junior guard
Skylar Davidson notched her first career double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds as she was on the floor for 42 minutes in the overtime victory. Graduate guard
Nakaila Gray tallied 13 points, which was the start of finishing in double figures in five of eight games for Gray. J. Smith scored 10 points. A Smith was held to six
points, but had seven of CU's season-high 29 offensive rebounds. Davidson (six) and Phillips (five) combined for 11 more offensive boards.
BACK ON TRACK
Concord had won four straight games over Notre Dame before falling 80-65 December 2 at the Carter Center. The Mountain Lions swept the season series from NDC last season, including eliminating the Falcons from the MEC Tournament in the first round. CU was ahead 52-51 after three quarters in December before getting outscored 29-13 in the final 10 minutes. A. Smith went for a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds while J. Smith collected her own double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds. Davidson chipped in 14 points. In last year's 67-50 win at Notre Dame, A. Smith recorded 13 points and a career-best 18 rebounds. Graduate guard
Jazz Blankenship scored 15 points, making three three-pointers.
TOP TWO
Wednesday's tilt will be a battle of the top two individual rebounders in the MEC in Notre Dame's Noel Weathers (8.8) and A. Smith (8.6). Notre Dame leans heavily on Weather to clear the boards as the rest of NDC roster only averages 26.2 rebounds per game, leading to a rebounding margin of -5.5, ninth in the MEC. Concord is fifth in the conference in rebounding margin this season (1.4), plucking down an average of 41.5 rebounds. CU outrebounded the Falcons, 41-38, in December with the oddity of having more offensive boards than defensive (22-19). A. Smith had 10 rebounds and Weathers finished right at her season average of eight. Concord owned the boards at NDC last season with an advantage of 52-21.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
4.0- MEC-leading offensive rebounds per game for A. Smith.
8.7- Average points in four games for Blankenship at Notre Dame.
75- Combined free throws between Concord and Bluefield State in November.
BLUEFIELD STATE AT A GLANCE
2023-24 Record: 10-9
CIAA Record: 4-7
Home Record: 4-3
Away Record: 6-6
Neutral Record: 0-0
SCOUTING THE BIG BLUES
The Big Blues have lost four straight games in the CIAA ahead of Monday's rivalry matchup. Forward Shalance Montoya came off the bench and scored 20 points in 19 minutes for Bluefield State at Concord earlier this season. Alexyss Newman is the only BSU player averaging double figures at 15.9 points per game. Azariah Binford (9.6) and Jayla Sample (9.1) are just under 10 points per game. Bluefield State is shooting 27 percent from three-point range this season.
NOTRE DAME AT A GLANCE
2023-24 Record: 6-14
MEC Record: 3-10
Home Record: 2-6
Away Record: 3-8
Neutral Record: 1-0
SCOUTING THE FALCONS
Notre Dame is coming off an 85-77 win over Davis & Elkins, the second-highest point total of the season for the Falcons. Weathers leads NDC in scoring (12.4). Kennadi Harris (9.8) and Lilee Carlson (9.6) are second and third in scoring. Cencere McDaniel netted 23 points off the bench for Notre Dame in its win at CU. Karli Anker added 15 more points in a reserve role. The Falcons were 21-for-24 at the foul line in December.
