ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University men's basketball team overcame a slow start to the game as it defeated Bluefield State 104-95 Monday night in a non-conference tilt at the Carter Center.
The Mountain Lions got in a 21-10 hole just over seven minutes into the game as BSU started the game making nine of its first 14 shots. Concord weathered the early surge and ripped off a 14-5 run that ended with a three-pointer by junior guard
Kollin Tolbert at the 8:35 mark as CU got within two, 26-24.
However, Bluefield State opened up another double-digit lead as the Big Blues took a 39-29 advantage with 4:50 remaining in the first half. But, the Mountain Lions had the final run of the first half with CU ending the opening 20 minutes on a 17-6 spurt.
Tolbert and freshman guard
Josiah Rickards combined for the first nine points of the run before senior guard
Corey Boston tied the game at 41-41 with 2:19 remaining on a three-pointer.
Two Rickards' free throws gave Concord a lead it would not give back, and junior forward
Ken Sallee canned a right wing three-pointer to cap the run.
BSU scored the final four points of the first half as CU took the slimmest of margins into halftime, 46-45.
Leading 52-50, the Mountain Lions scored eight of the next points as an offensive putback from junior forward
Rene Diop took the lead to 62-52.
Over the final 16 minutes of the game, Concord had an answer for every Bluefield State bucket as BSU never got closer than four points. Up 84-80, back-to-back jumpers by Boston and Rickards was followed by another offensive stickback, this time from sophomore forward
Boubacar Djigo, pushing the lead back to 10 points, 90-80, with 4:49 remaining.
Tolbert needed just 17 shots to score 32 points as he finished 9-for-17 from the field and was 11-of-11 at the foul line. He added nine rebounds for a second straight game. A season-best six CU players finished in double figures.
Boston dropped in 16 points on 6-for-11 shooting. Rickards finished a point off his career high with 15 in the game. Diop was perfect from the floor (6-of-6) in scoring 12 points. Freshman forward
Kraig Gilbert also tossed in 12 points while Sallee came off the bench with 10 points.
Concord shot 52.1 percent (37-for-71) for the game, hitting 10 three-pointer on 24 tries (41.7 percent). But, CU also scored 50 points in the paint.
The Mountain Lions owned a 46-30 rebounding advantage.
CU wraps up the non-conference portion of its schedule at home 7:30 p.m. Wednesday versus Salem.
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