Concord Closes Out Homestand Versus California (Pa.), Virginia Union

Concord Stats - Cal U Stats - Virginia Union Stats - Live Stats - Live Video

ATHENS, W.Va. - The Concord University men's basketball team continues its season-long three game homestand as it welcomes California (Pa.) to the Carter Center 3:00 p.m. Saturday before hosting Virginia Union 3:00 p.m. Monday in a pair of non-conference tilts.

LIVE COVERAGE
The Concord University Sports Information Department will have live statistics and live video of both games. 

Live Stats
Live Video

SERIES HISTORY vs. Cal U: Tied 1-1
SERIES HISTORY vs. Virginia Union: Tied 2-2

All-Time Meetings vs. Cal U
November 16, 2024: #6 California (Pa.) 89 - Concord 69 (California, Pa.)
December 8, 20218: Concord 80 - California (Pa.) 63 (Salem, W.Va.)

All-Time Meetings vs. Virginia Union
November 13, 2024: Virginia Union 86 - Concord 81 (Richmond, Va.)
February 12, 2024: Concord 63 - Virginia Union 60 (Athens, W.Va.)
December 11, 2017: Concord 84 - Virginia Union 80 (Athens, W.Va.)
December 12, 2016: Virginia Union 95 - Concord 78 (Richmond, Va.)

Concord at a Glance
Overall Record: 1-2
Home Record: 1-0
Away Record: 0-1
Neutral Record: 0-1
Streak: W1

California (Pa.) at a Glance
Overall Record: 1-2
Home Record: 1-0
Away Record: 0-1
Neutral Record: 0-1
Streak: W1

Virginia Union at a Glance
Overall Record: 2-1
Home Record: 1-0
Away Record: 0-1
Neutral Record: 1-0
Streak: W2

TALE OF THE TAPE: Concord vs. Cal U

Concord	Statistical Category	California (Pa.)
1	Wins	1
70.0	Points Per Game	79.7
74.0	Points Allowed Per Game	76.3
40.0	Rebounds Per Game	32.0
7.6	Assists Per Game	14.7
5.0	Blocks Per Game	4.3
4.6	Steals Per Game	7.7
39.1	Field-Goal Percentage	51.5
31.7	Three-Point Percentage	41.2
67.2	Free-Throw Percentage	61.0

TALE OF THE TAPE: Concord vs. Virginia Union

Concord	Statistical Category	California (Pa.)
1	Wins	1
70.0	Points Per Game	78.3
74.0	Points Allowed Per Game	73.7
40.0	Rebounds Per Game	34.3
7.6	Assists Per Game	12.3
5.0	Blocks Per Game	4.7
4.6	Steals Per Game	11.7
39.1	Field-Goal Percentage	49.7
31.7	Three-Point Percentage	32.5
67.2	Free-Throw Percentage	64.8

Concord Leaders
Points Per Game: Kraig Gilbert (16.7), Josiah Rickards (15.0), Anfernee Hanna (12.3)
Rebounds Per Game: Boubacar Djigo (13.0), Kraig Gilbert (6.0)
Assists Per Game: Cole Lambert (1.7), Micah Young (1.7)
Blocks Per Game: Boubacar Djigo (1.7), Kraig Gilbert (1.7)
Steals Per Game: Josiah Rickards (1.3)
Field-Goal Leader: Kraig Gilbert (52.9)
Three-Pointers Made: Kraig GIlbert (8)
Free-Throw Percentage: Josiah Rickards (65.2)

Cal U Leaders
Points Per Game: Jordyn Buchanan (19.0), Antoine Arnett (17.0), Bryson Lucas (14.3
Rebounds Per Game: Bryson Lucas (9.7), Antoine Arnett (6.3)
Assists Per Game: Bryson Lucas (5.3)
Blocks Per Game: Dalman Alexander (2.3)
Steals Per Game: Jordyn Buchanan (2.7)
Field-Goal Leader: Jordyn Buchanan (55.9)
Three-Pointers Made: Jordyn Buchanan (11)
Free-Throw Percentage: Brayden Reynolds (76.9)

Virginia Union Leaders
Points Per Game: Malachi Dark (17.0), Noah Richardson-Keyes (13.3), Travis Vaughn (11.0)
Rebounds Per Game: Elijah Scranton (6.7), Bobby Gardner (5.7)
Assists Per Game: Bobby Gardner (4.3)
Blocks Per Game: Malachi Dark (2.0)
Steals Per Game: Noah Richardson-Keyes (4.0)
Field-Goal Leader: Malachi Dark (63.9)
Three-Pointers Made: Travis Vaughn (6)
Free-Throw Percentage: Bobby Gardner (73.3)


D FOR DEFENSE
In Concord's 61-50 win over Bluefield State Wednesday night, CU stifled the Big Blues. Concord held BSU to 29.9 percent from the floor in the victory. It was the lowest shooting percentage for a CU opponent in more than 15 years—game-by-game data only goes back to the start of the 2011-12 season. And the 50 points that the Mountain Lions surrendered were the fewest allowed by the Maroon and Gray since defeating West Virginia Wesleyan 54-41 in December 2014 on the road. Early on in the season, the 50 points allowed by Concord are the fewest in the Mountain East Conference. And the Mountain Lions did a solid job on Bluefield State from the three-point line, giving up just four three-pointers—the third straight game this year allowing six or fewer makes form three-point range.

TWIN TOWERS
Junior forward Boubacar Djigo and sophomore forward Kraig Gilbert have paced Concord through three games. Djigo is tied for the MEC lead in rebounds per game (15.0) as his rebounding total is level with Frostburg State's Mike Montano in all of Division II. Djigo grabbed 19 rebounds versus Bluefield State which was three shy of his single-game program record that the Cleveland, Ohio native set last season at West Virginia State. Gilbert backed up his career-high 22 points versus Pitt-Johnstown with a 19-point outing against Bluefield State. The Grove City, Ohio native tied his career high with three three-pointers. For Gilbert, 18 of his 19 points came after halftime, the highest scoring half for a Concord player since Kollin Tolbert had 25 points in the second half of last year's game at Charleston in November.

RESERVE ROLES
The Concord bench only accounted for 23 combined points in the first two games, but the Mountain Lions' second unit came alive in Wednesday's win over Bluefield State. Led by a career-high 12 points from freshman guard Micah Young, Concord's bench tallied 19 points. Junior guard Savier McCall came up with four points and four crucial rebounds in 11 minutes. Sophomore guard John Gabbert canned his first three-pointer of the season, coming in the second half to help quell a Bluefield State run. After getting outscored by 35 points in bench scoring by IUP and Pitt-Johnstown, CU's reserves finished level with the BSU bench Wednesday night, 19-19. In games against California (Pa.) and Virginia Union last season, Concord's bench went over 20 points in both games, including sophomore guard Josiah Rickards scoring seven points at Virginia Union in just 11 minutes.

DISCOVER DIFFERENT WAYS
Known as a fast-paced league, Concord's games are usually in the high 70s, 80s, and occasionally 90s, for final scores in the MEC. However, the Mountain Lions secured their first win when scoring less than 65 points since defeating Virginia Union at home two seasons ago, 63-60. CU also had to overcome a tough shooting night as Concord only shot 35.6 percent from the floor versus Bluefield State. Before Wednesday's win, the Mountain Lions had been 2-14 since the start of the 2021-22 season where they shot less than 40 percent from the field—the two wins were last year at Point Park and the first game of the 2023-24 year at Indiana (Pa.). The blue-collar effort on defense as well as a 13-for-15 showing at the foul line helped overcome the shooting.

A NEW FACE
Concord and California (Pa.) meet for just the third time on the hardwood in men's hoops action. The two previous meetings were last year inside Cal U's Convocation Center and in December 2018 during the Manchin Classic hosted by Salem University. The Vulcans won last year on their home floor, 89-69, when they were ranked sixth in Division II. The Mountain Lions won the first meeting, 80-63. Though it will be Cal's first trip inside the Carter Center, head coach Danny Sancomb has coached numerous in Athens when he was the coach at Wheeling from 2007-18, and as a player for the Cardinals in the late 1990s. Saturday will be the first time Concord is hosting a team from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference since transitioning to Division II prior to the 1994-95 season.

BECOMING A TRADITION
Concord and Virginia Union meet for the third straight year, and the fifth time in the last 10 years in non-conference action Monday afternoon. CU's head coach Todd May and VUU head man Jay Butler are on similar trajectories as head coaches. Butler has been at Virginia Union one year longer than May's 10-year tenure as the head coach in Athens. In the previous four meetings between the schools, the home team has won each time. The Mountain Lions secured the aforementioned 63-60 victory in February 2024 before Virginia Union won 86-81 at home last season in what was the first game of the year for the Maroon and Gray. Under Coach May, CU is 6-1 at home versus team from the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) with the only coming loss to Winston-Salem State during May's first season in 2016-17.

HIGH-OCTANE OFFENSE
The Mountain Lions' defensive momentum will be put to the test over the next two games as they go up against two of the most efficient offenses in Division II. Cal U's 51.5 shooting percentage is top 20 nationally, and the Vulcans are coming off a game where they shot 55.0 percent in a 90-60 win over Charleston. For Virginia Union, the Panthers are shooting just under 50 percent for the season, 49.7 percent. VUU cut up West Liberty to shoot 55.0 percent in a 94-88 win Tuesday. Since the start of the 2023-24 season, Concord is 26-5 in games that it holds teams to less than 45 percent shooting.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
7- Turnovers for Concord against Bluefield State, the second time in the last five games CU has had seven or fewer turnovers.

10- Combined blocks for Djigo (five) and Gilbert (five), helping the Mountain Lions rank second in the MEC in blocks this season (15).

21- Made shots for Concord against Bluefield State, the fewest in a win since the season opener in 2021 at Charleston.

SCOUTING THE VULCANS
Saturday will be the fourth straight game for California (Pa.) against an MEC team. Cal U opened up the season against West Liberty and Wheeling before defeating Charleston for its first win of the season. The duo of Jordyn Buchanan and Bryson Lucas lead the way. Buchanan is netting 19 points per game and shooting over 55 percent from the floor. Off to a hot start, Lucas is scoring 14.3 points per game, grabbing a team-best 9.7 rebounds per game, and also leading Cal U in assists (5.3 per game). Antoine Arnett is scoring 17 points per game, and Dalman Alexander dumps in 14 points per game. The Vulcans are just two years removed from a 28-5 campaign.

SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
Virginia Union scored its biggest win since capturing the 2023 CIAA Tournament Championship last time out. The Panthers defeated nationally-ranked West Liberty 94-88 at home Tuesday night. Noah Ricardson-Keyes went for 25 points in springing the upset. The leading scorer for VUU, Malachi Black, averages 17 points per game. Travis Vaughn who added 20 points versus WLU throws in 11 points per game. Virginia Union has shot 50 percent or better in two of three games this season. VUU's leading scorer from the last two seasons, Tahj Harding, has coming off the bench in all three games, but is still scoring 10 points per game.