Concord Looks to Cool Down Red-Hot Charleston

Concord Stats – Charleston Stats – Live Video – Live Stats – Complete Game Notes
 
ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University women's basketball team hosts Mountain East Conference opponent Charleston amidst its seven-game winning streak Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. inside the Carter Center.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
The Concord University Sports Information Department will provide live video and statistics for Wednesday's game.
 
LIVE VIDEO
 
LIVE STATS
 
SERIES HISTORY
Charleston leads 45-18
 
LAST FIVE MEETINGS AGAINST CHARLESTON
November 23, 2024: Concord 85 – Charleston 78 (Charleston, W.Va.)
January 24, 2024: Concord 70 – Charleston 58 (Charleston, W.Va.)
November 18, 2023: Concord 54 – Charleston 44 (Athens, W.Va.)
March 4, 2023: Charleston 78 – Concord 54 (Wheeling, W.Va.)
January 18, 2023: Charleston 80 – Concord 68 (Charleston, W.Va.)
 
CONCORD AT A GLANCE
2024-25 Record: 8-8
MEC Record: 5-4
Home Record: 3-3
Away Record: 5-3
Neutral Record: 0-2
 
LATE GAME DRAMATICS
Finding themselves down by three at the end of the third quarter Saturday against Wheeling, the Mountain Lions battled back and forced overtime across the final 10 minutes of regulation. Juniors Abbie Smith and Kennedy Scales traded baskets to start the fourth period and commanded an 11-2 run to retake control, 57-51, at the 6:43 mark. The Cardinals stormed back to lead by two, 63-61, with just over a minute to play, but senior guard Skylar Davidson made the game-tying layup with 11 seconds left to force overtime. CU stayed within three to begin the extra frame, but was outlasted 75-67.
 
LOCK IT DOWN
While Smith (23 points) and Davidson (13 points) led the way offensively, junior forward Imani Hickman put together a complete stat line on the defensive end. Hickman set new career-highs in rebounds (14), steals (five), and blocks (two) while scoring six points and dishing out two assists in 33 minutes on the floor. Six of her 14 rebounds were offensive boards, marking back-to-back games grabbing six second-chance rebounds. Also, the Huntington, W.Va. native forced a critical steal with 23 seconds left in the fourth quarter that led to Davidson's game-tying jumper.
 
A CHANCE FOR HISTORY
Heading into Wednesday, Concord has a chance to extend its win streak against Charleston to four games, something that has not been done in program history. The current win streak of three is the most wins in a row over UC since the Mountain Lions won three-straight over the Golden Eagles during the 2011-12 season. Concord swept Charleston in the season series last winter after holding UC to 51 points per game in two tries. This season, the Maroon and Gray outpaced Charleston by outscoring the Golden Eagles 30-19 in the first quarter and pushed the lead to 20, 48-28, at halftime. In the game, CU shot 43.4 percent from the floor and drained eight three-pointers. Smith scored 25 points on 10-for-12 (83.3 percent) shooting, while Hickman scored a season-best 21 points and connecting with four three-point baskets.  
 
OWN THE GLASS
Through 16 games this season, Charleston owns the MEC's best rebounding margin (7.9) and is the best defensive rebounding team in the league (29.8). In November, UC commanded the glass over Concord, holding CU to just 29 rebounds while the Golden Eagles came away with 64. While the Maroon and Gray have a -2.9 rebounding margin on the season, it has outrebounded the opposition in four of its last five games led by a +20 rebound margin in a road win over West Liberty (64-44). While Charleston may be the conference's best defensive rebounding team, CU is the third-best offensive rebounding team hauling in 16.0 offensive rebounds per game. Additionally, each team has at least four players averaging four rebounds or more per game.
 
TWO OF THE BEST
Two of those players are Concord's Smith and Charleston's Harper Annarino. Smith leads the MEC in rebounding, averaging 11.4 boards per contest with 5.1 of those coming on the offensive end to rank sixth in Division II. Annarino, a freshman forward, has logged at least nine rebounds in seven of Charleston's last 10 games and leads the Golden Eagles bringing down 7.6 rebounds per game. Also, Annarino ranks fifth in the MEC swatting 0.9 blocks per game while Smith is coming off a three-block performance against Wheeling. Both players also lead their respective teams in scoring, with Smith averaging 18.4 points per game and Annarino scoring 11.6 points per game.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
0 – Lead changes when Concord and Charleston met earlier this season
5 – CU's overtime winning streak snapped Wedensday against Wheeling
33.3 – Charleston's combined field goal percentage against the Mountain Lions over the last three meetings
 
CHARLESTON AT A GLANCE
2024-25 Record: 9-7
MEC Record: 5-4
Home Record: 6-4
Away Record: 3-3
Neutral Record: 0-0
 
 
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES
Charleston enters Wednesday on a seven-game winning streak after starting the season 2-7. Alongside Annarino, UC presents two players who score in double figures in sophomore guard Paris Stokes (11.5) senior forward Jamia Nesmith (11.2). Nesmith leads the Golden Eagles in field goal percentage (49.6) while Stokes ranks fourth in the MEC in free throw percentage (81.8).