PITTSBURGH – The Concord University men's basketball team held Point Park to 19 points in the second half as it eased its way to a 78-61 win in Mountain East Conference action Wednesday night at CCAC-Allegheny Gymnasium.
The contest was tied at 42-42 at halftime and remained knotted at 46-46 just over four minutes into the second half. CU (6-3, 4-0 MEC) went up 48-46 after a dunk from junior forward
Eldon Terry. However, Point Park (2-7, 1-4 MEC) answered with a three-pointer on the next possession to take its final lead of the game.
A transition layup from freshman guard
Micah Young started a 13-4 run over the next six minutes. Terry was responsible for the first five points of the spurt as he had a three-pointer followed by a putback dunk.
The Pioneers trimmed the margin to 57-53 with 9:18 remaining, but the next six points went to Concord as sophomore forward
Kraig Gilbert finished the 13-4 run with back-to-back buckets as part of his career-best 27 points.
Point Park hit a three-pointer to cut the deficit to seven points, 63-56, but it was as close as PPU got over the final 6:32 of the game.
Gilbert scored eight of the final 10 points to help close out the Pioneers.
Both teams came out firing as the Mountain Lions shot 57.7 percent in the first half that included hitting six three-pointers. Point Park matched Concord by shooting 53.3 percent from the floor in the first 20 minutes. PPU hit eight triples.
The biggest lead over the first 28 minutes of the game was five as the Mountain Lions led by five three different times in the first half.
CU cooled off the Pioneers in the second half as Point Park only shot 29.6 percent (8-for-27) after halftime, and made just three three-pointers on 14 attempts (21.4 percent). For the game, PPU shot 42.1 percent.
Concord made 44.1 percent of its shots in the second half, and still managed to shoot 50 percent for the game (30-for-60).
For the second straight game, Concord had a lopsided edge on the boards as it outrebounded Point Park 41-23. Gilbert added 10 rebounds to go with 27 points, tallying his second double-double of the season. He also made five three-pointers on just eight attempts.
Junior forward
Anfernee Hanna finished with 11 points. Terry threw in a career-high nine points. Junior forward
Boubacar Djigo had eight points and seven rebounds.
CU visits nationally-ranked, eighth-rated Fairmont State 4:00 p.m. Saturday.
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