Concord Outpaces UVa.-Wise in 91-78 Win

WISE, Va.- The Concord University women's basketball team defeated UVa.-Wise in their first road game of the season, 91-78, Saturday afternoon in a non-conference contest at the Prior Center.
 
The first quarter started with a Mountain Lion (3-1) triple, the first coming from senior forward Olivia Ziolkowski. Concord canned two more threes in the opening quarter with freshman guard Lacee Smith and sophomore forward Trinity Henderson pushing Concord in front 20-17 after ten minutes of play.
 
Up three to start the second quarter, Concord saw UVa.-Wise grab the early momentum in the quarter as the Cavaliers (3-1) built a 31-27 edge. However, it was junior forward Olivia Ziolkowski who closed the second quarter with a vengeance. In the last 3:33 of the quarter, Ziolkowski exploded for 12 points without missing in that span (5-for-5). The Mountain Lions entered the half with a 46-40 lead on the heels of Ziolkowski's spurt.
 
CU held UVa.-Wise at arm's length during the third quarter before the Cavaliers closed to within 59-57 with 3:27 remaining. The Mountain Lions ended the quarter on a 16-5 run to go up 75-62 entering the fourth. Concord got six points from Abbie Smith, including the first three-point make of her illustrious career. Ziolkowski scored five more in the run and guards Kennedy Scales and Kenyah Stubbs added a bucket a piece.
 
The 13-point lead was protected during the fourth quarters as UVa.-Wise only closed to within six points, 82-76, with 6:25 left. Smith and junior guard Alexis Frazee helped restore a double-digit lead as the Mountain Lions cruised to a 13-point victory.
 
Ziolkowski led the way with a career-high 23 points on 9-for-17 from the field. Smith put up her fourth straight double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Smich stuffed the stat sheet for CU totaling 11 points, five rebounds, five steals, and four assists. Stubbs finished with 10 points, five assists, four rebounds, and three steals. Frazee made her season debut, netting six points while going 2-2 from the field and the free throw line.
 
As a unit, the Mountain Lions shot a season-best 54.4 percent from the field and 52.9 (9-for-17) from three-point range. CU assisted on 23 of 37 made field goals.
 
Concord returns home for their last game before Thanksgiving as the Mountain Lions host Winston-Salem State Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. at the Carter Center.