WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The Concord University men's basketball team led for more than 37 minutes as it controlled West Liberty from start-to-finish in an 85-77 over the nationally-ranked, 10th-rated Hilltoppers Wednesday night in a Mountain East Conference game at the ASRC.
Senior forward
Amare Smith got the Mountain Lions (6-6, 5-3 MEC) out of the gate quickly as he drained back-to-back three-pointers in a 25-second span as Concord led 8-0 1:50 into the game. After West Liberty (12-3, 6-2 MEC) hit a three-pointer on the next possession, Smith answered with a traditional three-point play with 17:34 remaining in the first half.
WLU trimmed the margin to four points, but Concord held off any impending West Liberty runs and worked the lead up to 10 points, 28-18, at the 9:47 mark after a jumper from junior guard
Kollin Tolbert.
The Hilltoppers were able to tie the game, 32-32, with 3:47 remaining in the first half, but Concord scored seven of the final 11 points of the half, including a three-point play from senior guard
Corey Boston with 1:29 left as Concord took a 39-36 lead into halftime.
The Mountain Lions continued to keep the Hilltoppers at arm's length as Tolbert opened up another eight-point advantage, 48-40, after his bucket at the 17:42 mark.
Concord kept the lead until the 8:53 mark when WLU tied the game, and West Liberty took its only lead of the game, 65-64, with 7:47 left. Four points from Boston was sandwiched around a layup from junior forward
Rene Diop as six quick points gave Concord a 70-65 edge.
The Mountain Lions fended off one last West Liberty spurt as Boston's basket worked the margin to nine, 78-69, with 2:32 remaining.
Concord shot an efficient 52.5 percent (31-for-59) from the floor and was 19-for-23 at the foul line (82.6 percent). The Maroon and Gray owned the rebounding margin at 42-25, and scored 48 points in the paint.
Five Mountain Lions finished in double figures led by Boston's 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting. Smith and Tolbert both had 17 points as they combined for 13-for-24 shooting. Tolbert tallied a game-best eight rebounds. Diop netted 15 points on a 6-for-8 showing. Freshman guard
Josiah Rickards scored 10 points off the bench.
Wednesday's victory was Concord's first win at West Liberty since the 1997-98 season. And Concord dealt the Hilltoppers just their second home loss in the last 44 games.
Also, the win for Concord was head coach
Todd May's 126
th career victory at CU which moves him into third place on the all-time wins list at the school. The only coaches ahead of him are Steve Cox (336) and Don Christie (171). Another career milestone achieved on Wednesday was Diop collecting his 100
th career block, the fifth player in program history to reach the century mark in blocks.
CU returns home hosting Wheeling 4:00 p.m. Saturday at the Carter Center. Â
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