Concord Travels to Face Ferrum in Last Non-Conference Game

Concord Stats - Ferrum Stats - Live Stats - Live Video - Complete Game Notes

ATHENS, W.Va. - The Concord University women's basketball team travels to face Ferrum Monday night at 6:00 p.m.

COVERAGE:
Live Stats
Live Video

HISTORY:
This is the first all-time meeting between Concord and Ferrum.

TALE OF THE TAPE: Concord vs. Ferrum

Concord	Statistical Category	Ferrum
3	Wins	1
79.4	Points Per Game	61.0
80.6	Points Allowed Per Game	65.8
39.8	Rebounds Per Game	38.8
13.8	Assists Per Game	9.8
9.8	Steals Per Game	4.5
2.8	Blocks Per Game	2.3
47.0	Field Goal Percentage	41.1
33.8	Three Point Percentage	20.3
70.6	Free Throw Percentage	60.4

Concord Leaders:
Points Per Game: Abbie Smith (19.2), Kenyah Stubbs (17.0), Olivia Ziolkowski (11.4)
Rebounds Per Game: Abbie Smith (10.4), Olivia Ziolkowski (6.0)
Assists Per Game: Kiley Smich (3.0), Kenyah Stubbs (2.4), Cadence Blackburn (2.4)
Blocks Per Game: Abbie Smith (1.4)
Steals Per Game: Kiley Smich (2.6), Kenyah Stubbs (2.6)
Field-Goal Leader: Abbie Smith (58.7)
Three-Pointers Made: Olivia Ziolkowski (7)
Free-Throw Percentage: Abbie Smith (84.0)

Ferrum Leaders:
Points Per Game: Taryn Blankenship (14.0), Sofia Ponce (9.5), Breyana Kimmons (8.0)
Rebounds Per Game: Sofia Ponce (5.5), Zy'Breayziah Alexander (4.8)
Assists Per Game: Aleksandra Kubiak (2.8), Maslyn Mosbacher (2.0)
Blocks Per Game: Gracie Beane (1.0)
Steals Per Game: Taryn Blankenship (1.5), Dezariyah Clark (1.5)
Field-Goal Leader: Sofia Ponce (85.0)
Three-Pointers Made: Breyana Kimmons (4)
Free-Throw Percentage: Taryn Blankenship (80.0)

OPENING TIP
The Concord University women's basketball team plays its final non-conference game of the season when it travels to Ferrum 6:00 p.m. Monday.

ROLE REVERSAL
In CU's final game before Thanksgiving, senior forward Abbie Smith, who has led the Mountain Lions in rebounds in all five games this season, topped the stat sheet in steals for Concord. The Little Hocking, Ohio native still pulled down eight rebounds, but added a career-high tying four steals against Winston-Salem State on Tuesday. She previously had four steals in a win over Bluefield State last November. Sophomore guard Kenyah Stubbs is tied for team lead in steals, but against Winston-Salem State she chipped in six rebounds as the Mountain Lions outrebounded the Rams, 36-31, in the contest. Senior forward Olivia Ziolkowski continued her streak of grabbing at least five rebounds in all five games this season.

TIME FOR A TURNOVER
For the third time this season, Concord forced 20 or more turnovers in the contest against Winston-Salem State. The Maroon and Gray made WSSU turn the ball over 22 times. Ten of the 22 turnovers were live ball steals. Smith paced the Mountain Lions with four steals. Junior guard Kiley Smich and Ziolkowski each added two steals in the contest. CU is third in the Mountain East Conference in turnovers forced per game (19.8). The Mountain Lions also rank third in the MEC in steals per game (9.8). Smich and Stubbs are tied for fifth in the conference in steals per game (2.6). Smich has seven steals in her last two games while Stubbs has four games of two or more steals in 2025-26.

SIXTH MAN
Freshman guard Cadence Blackburn has proven to be a pivotal player for the Mountain Lions just five games into her career. The Kopperston, West Virginia native has played at least 20 minutes off the bench in four of five games, including 25 or more minutes in two games. She is tied for second on the team in assists (12). She is also tied for second on the squad in made three-pointers (four). Blackburn is shooting 50 percent (9-for-18) from the floor, including going 7-for-12 from the field in her last three games. Additionally, Blackburn is the only non-starter for Concord to have played more than 100 minutes this season (116).

BASKETBALL REUNION
Monday's game sees CU head coach Tesla Southcott return to her alma mater. During her playing career (2009-13), Southcott, then Akers, was a 1,000-point scorer for the Ferrum Panthers. And at the end of her senior season she was named a WBCA Division III Honorable Mention All-American. She ranks eighth in all-time scoring at Ferrum (1,390) and was a 2024 inductee into the Ferrum Hall of Fame in 2024. Across the sideline from Southcott will be one of her former players, Ashton Funderburg, who is in her second season as an assistant coach under head coach Brian Harvey, who Southcott played for at FC. Funderburg played at CU from 2019-23 where she suited up in 102 games, helping the Mountain Lions to 64 wins.

TEST OF WILLS
Through five games, Concord has proven to be one of the most efficient teams in the MEC as the Maroon and Gray leads the conference in scoring (79.4) while shooting 47.0 percent from the field, second in the league. Tuesday's game against Winston-Salem State was the first time that CU was held under 70 points this season. While Ferrum is just 1-3 on the season, the Panthers have been suffocating on the defensive end of the floor. FC is allowing just 65.8 points per game and holding teams under 40 percent shooting (39.0). The stout defensive numbers come without the Panthers forcing a high volume of turnovers as the opposition only turns it over 14.5 times per game. Only USC Beaufort has scored more than 68 points on Ferrum this season, and only Chowan has shot higher 40 percent on the Panthers.

BACK TO THE COMMONWEALTH
The Mountain Lions round out their non-conference schedule against Ferrum as it will be the second time playing a team from the state of Virginia this season. Just over a week ago, CU scored a 91-78 win on the road against UVa.-Wise. Ziolkowski had a career-best 23 points. Smith added 20 points and 10 rebounds. Smich (11) and Stubbs (10) also finished in double figures. Monday will be a homecoming of sorts for not only Southcott, but five Mountain Lions who went to high school in Virginia. Senior guard Kennedy Scales grew up just 40 minutes from the Ferrum campus in Salem. Sophomore guard Amarrah Carter-Bennett and freshman guard Sadie Robinson are from Wytheville, only 80 miles from Ferrum.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

4 - Concord is vying for its fourth non-conference win which would be the best non-conference record since going 7-1 in 2021-22.

36 - CU has grabbed at least 36 rebounds in every game this season, and its 39.8 rebounds per game are fourth in the MEC.

50 - A win Monday would be Southcott's 50th career on the sidelines in Athens

SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
Ferrum is led in scoring by former Mountain Lion Taryn Blankenship who spent the 2022-23 season at Concord. Blankenship has only played in two games this year, but is averaging 14 points per game while shooting 47.6 percent. Sofia Ponce is averaging 9.5 points and a team-best 5.5 rebounds per game. All four of Ferrum's games have been decided by nine points or less, including a 68-63 loss to Virginia Union prior to Thanksgiving on Tuesday. The Panthers are holding teams to 17.3 percent from three-point range this season.