Concord Readies for NCAA Tournament Clash Versus Rival Charleston

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ATHENS, W.Va. - For the first time since March 2016, the Concord University men's basketball team will play in the NCAA Division II Tournament when it takes on Charleston 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Convocation Center on the campus of PSAC West school California (Pa.).

LIVE COVERAGE
The Cal U Sports Information Department will have live statistics and live video of the game. The video broadcast of the game is available with a subscription from NCAA Championship Pass. 

Live Stats
Live Video
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TICKET INFORMATION
Ticket prices for the NCAA Tournament have been set at $10 for adults and $5 for children or students with a college ID. Children under five will be admitted free. All ticketing is general admission. Cash and credit card sales will be accepted. Credit cards are subject to a processing fee. And gates will open two hours prior to the first game each day.

SERIES HISTORY: Charleston leads 103-55

LAST FIVE MEETINGS VERSUS CHARLESTON
January 24, 2024: #23 Charleston 76 - Concord 67 (Charleston, W.Va.)
November 18, 2023: Charleston 81 - Concord 74 (Athens, W.Va.)
January 18, 2023: Charleston 93 - Concord 82 (Charleston, W.Va.)
November 19, 2022: Charleston 82 - Concord 77 (Athens, W.Va.)
March 4, 2022: Charleston 88 - Concord 84 (Wheeling, W.Va.)

CONCORD AT A GLANCE
Overall Record: 22-7
MEC Record: 14-6
Home Record: 11-2
Away Record: 9-4
Neutral Record: 2-1

BACK TO THE BIG SHOW
The Mountain Lions snapped an eight-year drought of making the NCAA Division II Tournament when they were selected to the national postseason Sunday night. Friday night will be CU's eighth all-time appearance in the national tournament with four appearances coming as a Division II school (1995, 1997, 2016, 2024). This year's team is just the second Concord team to make the national tournament as an at-large team—the only other instance was in 1954. The Mountain Lions earned automatic bids as conference champions in 1979, 1989, 1991, 1995, 1997 and 2016. Concord is 5-10 all-time in the NAIA/NCAA Tournament, but has not advanced past the first round since a Sweet 16 appearance in 1997. CU's 2016 NCAA Tournament appearance was a first-round exit against Mountain East Conference for West Liberty, 90-69.

DEFENSE AND REBOUNDING WINS
Concord's 22 wins, the most since the 2015-16 squad, has been paced by the Maroon and Gray's work on the defensive end and the blue-collar rebounding effort. The Mountain Lions are averaging 44.7 rebounds per game which is first in Division II. Only three teams, Concord (32.0), Florida Southern (30.5) and Lincoln Memorial (30.3), in Division II average 30 or more defensive rebounds per game. CU's 8.2 rebounding margin is sixth in the nation. No Mountain Lion is in the top 150 nationally in rebounding, but four of Concord's starting five all average six or more rebounds per game: sophomore guard Kollin Tolbert (6.6), sophomore forward Rene Diop (6.3), senior guard JJ Harper (6.2) and fifth-year senior forward Jevon Laidler (6.0). Tolbert is the top rebounding guard in the MEC. CU's defensive field-goal percentage of 41.0 is 18^th in Division II.

DOUBLE TROUBLE
In the Mountain Lions' 77-71 loss versus West Liberty in the MEC Semifinals, Harper and Tolbert both notched double-doubles. In fact, Tolbert had back-to-back double-doubles at the MEC Tournament with 20 points and 10 rebounds in the quarterfinal win versus Davis & Elkins and another 20-10 effort against West Liberty. The Cincinnati, Ohio native leads CU with six double-doubles this season. Meanwhile, all three of Harper's career double-doubles have come in the last six games. Since his first career double-double versus Wheeling (Feb. 21), Harper is averaging 15 points and 8.6 rebounds per game—a stretch of six games. The West Liberty contest in the MEC Tournament marked the third time since February 14 versus West Virginia Wesleyan that Concord has had two players record a double-double in the same game.

RIVALRY RENEWED
Friday's clash in the NCAA Tournament will be the 159^th all-time meeting between Concord and Charleston—the most played series of any CU opponent. Charleston has won eight straight games over the Mountain Lions, including 81-74 and 76-67 regular-season wins this year. The Mountain Lions had one of their best offensive games of the season in the November meeting, shooting 50.8 percent, but was unable to limit UC as the Golden Eagles shot 50 percent and made 10 three-pointers in the seven-point victory. At Charleston January 24, Concord led 53-47 with 11 minutes remaining, but was unable to hold off a 15-2 UC run over the next five minutes. CU outshot Charleston in the game (41.4-38.3), but was outrebounded 43-34. Tolbert averaged 21 points in two games versus the Golden Eagles this year. Harper netted 19 points at home against Charleston. Junior forward Amare Smith was the only other double-digit scorer at UC, besides Tolbert's 22 points.

BALANCING ACT
Concord and Charleston are two of the most balanced scoring teams in the Atlantic Region. CU has four players scoring double figures, led by Tolbert's 14.3 points per game. Senior guard Jordan Wooden is just off the double-digit pace with 9.7 points per game. Additionally, Wooden averaged double figures in 26 straight games to start the season. And a total of seven Mountain Lions average at least 6.4 points per game. All five UC starters are scoring 10 or more points per game, led by MEC Player of the Year Eddie Colbert (17.5). DeAirius Barker (13.5), Tyler Eberhart (11.4), Shunta Wilson (10.4) and Dwaine Jones (10.0) also score at least 10 points per game. Three players come off the bench for the Golden Eagles and average 6.3 or more points per game.

OFFENSIVE EFFICIENCY
Though CU has been a defensive-minded team throughout the duration of the season, the Maroon and Gray has played some of its best offense of the year recently ahead of Friday's game. In the months of February and March, Concord has shot 45 percent or better in nine of 13 games. Diop had shot 50 percent or better from the floor in 12 straight games before going 1-for-5 against West Liberty. In the same 13 games since the beginning of February, Tolbert has hit for 50 percent or better from the field in nine contests. On the other sideline, Charleston leads Division II in field-goal percentage at 51.7. The Golden Eagles shot 58 percent or better in two of their three MEC Tournament games. And UC has made at least half its shots in 19 of 31 games this winter.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
2- Concord is 2-0 this season in PSAC venues after picking up wins over IUP and Pitt-Johnstown at IUP's Kovalchick Arena to start the season.

9.5- Points per game for Smith this year in two games against Charleston

26- Points that CU held Charleston to in the paint in January.

CHARLESTON AT A GLANCE
Overall Record: 27-4
MEC Record: 17-3
Home Record: 12-2
Away Record: 12-2
Neutral Record: 3-0

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES
Charleston is up to seventh in this week's NABC National Top 25 after winning the MEC Tournament—UC's first conference tournament championship since 2014. Jones was named the MEC Tournament MVP after averaging 18.7 points per game, including 23 points in the championship game versus West Liberty. UC is top 25 nationally in free-throw shooting at 77.2 percent. Jones is the only UC player that has NCAA Tournament experience after playing in the national tournament two years ago while at West Virginia State.