WHEELING, W.Va. – The Concord University men's basketball team outgunned Wheeling 108-100 to pick up a Mountain East Conference win Wednesday night at the McDonough Center.
CU (10-4, 7-1 MEC) raced out to a 17-point first-half lead, but had to survive a surge by Wheeling (9-5, 6-3 MEC) in the second half. The ultimate difference in the game was Concord's 14-4 run just past the midway point of the second half.
With the score tied at 71-71—the fifth and final deadlock of the game—the Mountain Lions scored eight straight points. Senior guard
Savier McCall started the run with a three-pointer at the 9:10 mark. After a Wheeling turnover, freshman guard
Micah Young scored on a transition layup, and two possessions later Young threw in three of his career-high 39 points with a right corner three-pointer to take the lead to eight points, 79-71.
The Cardinals got back-to-back buckets to go, however, junior forward
Boubacar Djigo had his own answer with four straight points. The run was finished off with two free throws from sophomore guard
Josiah Rickards with 5:51 remaining.
Up 10, Concord's lead wasn't safe as Wheeling cut the advantage to four points twice and then again to five before a McCall three-pointer pushed the edge back to eight pints, 100-92, at the 2:08 mark.
The Cardinals made one last surge getting within three points, 103-100, with 29 seconds left. Rickards closed the game out by going 5-for-6 at the foul line in the final 27 seconds.
CU came out blistering as it took a 28-15 lead with 12:37 left in the first half. The early double-digit lead was spurred by the Mountain Lions making 10 of their first 14 shots (71.4 percent). The advantage grew to as much as 17 points, 41-24, after a bucket from Young at the 8:34 mark of the first half.
Wheeling chipped away and got the lead down to two points with seven seconds left in the half, but Young pushed the lead to five points, 55-50, on a half-court buzzer beater.
The Mountain Lions continued to fight off the Cardinals until WU took a 62-61 edge. Wheeling's final lead of the night was 65-63 as Rickards ran off four straight points including a fast break dunk.
Young's 39 points are the second most in an MEC game this season. He finished the night 14-for-23 from the floor, 4-of-7 from three-point distance and 7-for-9 at the foul line. He added a career-best seven rebounds.
Djigo notched his 10
th double-double of the season with 17 points and 15 rebounds. Rickards was a big factor in the second half as he scored 19 of his 20 points, equaling his season best, in the second half. He also went for a career-best eight rebounds and four assists.
McCall and junior guard
Khamani Wertz each had 11 points with McCall netting a career high in 14 minutes in a reserve role.
Concord ripped down a season-best 51 rebounds as it outrebounded WU 51-37. CU tallied 23 offensive rebounds.
The Mountain Lions host nationally-ranked, 19
th-rated West Liberty 4:00 p.m. Saturday.
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