Josiah Rickards
Josiah Rickards

Concord Clashes with Nationally-Ranked Fairmont State in Meeting of MEC's Top Two Teams

12/19/2025 1:44:00 PM

Concord Stats - Fairmont State Stats - Live Audio - Live Stats - Live Video - Complete Game Notes

ATHENS, W.Va. - The top two teams in the Mountain East Conference standings meet when the Concord University men's basketball team travels to Fairmont State 4:00 p.m. Saturday for a conference showdown between a pair of 4-0 teams in the league with FSU ranked eighth in the latest NABC National Top 25 Poll.

LIVE COVERAGE   
The Fairmont State Sports Information Department will have live statistics and live video of Saturday's game. Additionally, live radio coverage is available from FSU's Travis Jones and Duane Cochran locally on 106.5 FM or streaming. 

Live Audio
Live Stats
Live Video

SERIES HISTORY: Fairmont State leads 66-34

Last Fivee Meetings vs. Fairmont State
January 29, 2025: Concord 89 - #7 Fairmont State 84 (Fairmont, W.Va.)
December 15, 2024: #8 Fairmont State 77 - Concord 76 (Athens, W.Va.)
January 31, 2024: Concord 69 - Fairmont State 68 (Athens, W.Va.)
January 5, 2024: Fairmont State 88 - Concord 72 (Fairmont, W.Va.)
February 4, 2023: Fairmont State 92 - Concord 86 (Fairmont, W.Va.)

Concord at a Glance
Overall Record: 6-3
MEC Record: 4-0
Home Record: 4-1
Away Record: 2-1
Neutral Record: 0-1
Last Five: 4-1
Streak: W4
MEC Rank: Tied First

Fairmont State at a Glance

Overall Record: 8-1
MEC Record: 4-0
Home Record: 5-0
Away Record: 3-1
Last Five: 5-0
Streak: W6
MEC Rank: Tied First

TALE OF THE TAPE: Concord vs. Fairmont State
Concord Statistical Category Fairmont State
6 Wins 8
78.1 Points Per Game 87.8
73.8 Points Allowed Per Game 71.3
41.6 Rebounds Per Game 38.1
12.7 Assists Per Game 17.2
4.5 Blocks Per Game 3.4
5.1 Steals Per Game 11.0
45.0 Field-Goal Percentage 47.9
33.5 Three-Point Percentage 33.8
73.7 Free-Throw Percentage 72.8

Concord Leaders
Points Per Game: Kraig Gilbert (19.2), Boubacar Djigo (14.2), Anfernee Hanna (13.8)
Rebounds Per Game: Boubacar Djigo (14.2), Kraig Gilbert (6.0)
Assists Per Game: Cole Lamber (2.4), Josiah Rickards (2.1)
Blocks Per Game: Kraig Gilbert (1.7), Boubacar Djigo (1.3)
Steals Per Game: Josiah Rickards (1.1)
Field-Goal Leader: Boubacar Djigo (62.1)
Free-Throw Percentage: Anfernee Hanna (81.3)
Three-Pointers Made: Kraig Gilbert (27)

Fairmont State Leaders
Points Per Game: Drey Carter (16.2), Miguel Martinez (14.1), David Jolinder (13.1)
Rebounds Per Game: Drey Carter (7.2), David Jolinder (5.8)
Assists Per Game: Tyheil Peterson (3.4), Drey Carter (2.9)
Blocks Per Game: Rene Diop (1.9)
Steals Per Game: Tyheil Peterson (3.0)
Field-Goal Leader: Drey Carter (61.4)
Free-Throw Percentage: Drey Carter (75.0)
Three-Pointers Made: Miguel Martinez (25)

KG FOR 3
In scoring a career-high 27 points at Point Park in Concord's 78-61 win Wednesday, sophomore forward Kraig Gilbert nailed a single-game career-best five three-pointers on just eight attempts. The Grove City, Ohio native is the only player in the MEC shooting 50 percent or better from three-point distance (52.9 percent/27-for-51) and he is tied for third in the conference in three-pointers made per game (3.0). Gilbert has made two or more three-pointers in 11 straight games, dating back to last season. Gilbert's three-point percentage ranks fifth in Division II. He enters Saturday third in the MEC in scoring per game (19.2). Gilbert has accounted for 43.5 percent of Concord's makes from three-point range this season (27 of 62), and is the only Mountain Lion with double-digit three-pointers.

BENCH ENERGY
The Concord bench continued its high level of play as the second unit scored 24 points at Point Park—the fourth straight game with 20 or more points from bench. Junior forward Eldon Terry netted a career-best nine points in nine minutes to go with four rebounds. Terry was 4-for-4 from the floor, including making his first three-pointer of the season. Freshman guard Micah Young threw in eight points, and even though he only scored five points in 13 minutes sophomore guard Brendan Hoffman grabbed two rebounds and came up with a career-high three steals versus Point Park. CU's bench is outscoring the opposition 18.1-14.7 this season on average, but has only surrendered 37 bench points over the last four games. Despite not starting a game this season, Young is averaging 10.3 points per game—the fourth-leading scorer for Concord.

HOLD 'EM DOWN
The Mountain Lions have been a far better offensive team in the second halves of game this season, but Concord has also been stifling on the defensive end after halftime, and that culminated Wednesday at Point Park by outscoring the Pioneers 36-19 in the second half. The 19 points that CU held PPU to was the lowest in any half for the Concord defense since the Maroon and Gray limited Shepherd to 15 second-half points in a 62-53 win February 21, 2015 on the road. After allowing Point Park to shoot 50 percent from both three-point range and the field overall in the first half, CU locked down the Pioneers in the second half, holding them to 29.6 percent shooting and 21.4 percent from three-point range. Concord is allowing 34.5 points in the second half as opposed to 39.1 in the first half this season.

ON THE BLOCK
Saturday's game could very well be decided by the play in the paint. The Concord duo of Gilbert and junior forward Boubacar Djigo are two of the best big men in the conference as the duo combines for 33.4 points and 20.2 rebounds per game. And both players shoot 57 percent or better from the floor. Djigo leads Division II in rebounding (14.2) while his shooting percentage of 62.1 percent is third in the MEC, and 22nd in the country. Gilbert is just inside the top 50 in Division II in scoring. Fairmont State counters with Wright State transfer Drey Carter and former Mountain Lion Rene Diop. Carter is averaging 16.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game while shooting 61.4 percent from the field. Diop, the reigning MEC Defensive Player of the Year from his time with CU, is second in the MEC in blocks per game (1.9). Offensively, Diop nets 8.1 points per game. In three years with Concord, Diop recorded 137 career blocks—third in program history.

DEFENSIVE MINDSET

Fairmont State is averaging 87.8 points per game which is third in the MEC and 35th in Division II. CU averages 78.1 points per game this season, but is scoring 88.5 points during its four-game winning streak. However, both teams hang their collective hats on the defensive end of the floor. Fairmont State is the only team in the conference holding teams under 40 percent shooting (39.5). The Mountain Lions are third in the MEC in defensive field-goal percentage (43.9). FSU (71.3) and Concord (73.8) are first and second in the league in scoring defense. Concord averages 14.3 offensive rebounds per game, first in the MEC, while Fairmont State is second in offensive rebounding (13.0). On the defensive end, both Concord and Fairmont State only allow 11 offensive rebounds per game on average.

GOING FOR TWO
Concord seeks to win its second straight game at Joe Retton Arena after an 89-84 win at Fairmont State in late January last season. The Mountain Lions got 26 points from All-American Kollin Tolbert. Sophomore guard Josiah Rickards came off the bench with 13 points and five rebounds in 27 minutes of action. Concord shot a blistering 55.4 percent from the floor, and canned 7-of-16 three-point attempts in the win. The Maroon and Gray has not won consecutive games over Fairmont State since the 2014-15 season when they defeated the Fighting Falcons twice in a 39-day span. Additionally, CU has not won back-to-back games inside Joe Retton Arena since the 1991-92 and 1993-94 seasons. In seven seasons under head coach Tim Koenig, FSU is 84-12 at home and hasn't lost more than three home games in any season.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
4- Concord is 4-0 in conference play for the first time since 2003-04—CU lost its fifth game of WVIAC play that season.

6- Career-high assists for Rickards at Point Park, which was also the most for any Concord player this season.

7- Point differential between Concord and Fairmont State in the last three meetings, including a pair of one-point games in Athens.

SCOUTING THE FIGHTING FALCONS
Carter leads four Fairmont State players in double figures. West Virginia State transfer Miguel Martinez scores 14.1 points per game and has knocked down a team-high 25 three-pointers. Multi-time All-MEC performer David Jolinder nets 13.1 points per game, and Charleston transfer CJ Meredith throws in 10.5 points per game. The only loss for FSU this season came in mid-November at fourth-ranked Daemen, 75-63. The Fighting Falcons have the third-best rebounding margin in the MEC (5.7) while Concord ranks second (6.6). Fairmont State is second in the MEC steals per game (11.0) to add to the defensive efficiency.
 
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