ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University men's basketball team was unable to keep pace with West Liberty in the second half as CU lost to the nationally-ranked, 19
th-rated Hilltoppers 102-70 Saturday afternoon in a Mountain East Conference game at the Carter Center.
Trailing by as much as 12 points, 33-21, with just over six minutes left in the first half, the Mountain Lions (10-5, 7-2 MEC) surged to get within a possession of WLU (12-3, 7-1 MEC) at halftime. A pair of free throws by junior forward
Anfernee Hanna and a bucket from senior guard
Savier McCall got the deficit down to eight points.
The Hilltoppers came back with a jumper, but was met immediately by a three-pointer from sophomore guard
Brendan Hoffman.
Still trailing 40-32 with less than 90 seconds left in the first half, freshman guard
Micah Young canned a three-pointer. Then, Young and junior forward
Boubacar Djigo combined to go 3-for-4 at the foul line in the final minute of the first half while CU held West Liberty to three points in the final 3:09 of the first half to cap a 17-7 run.
Out of the locker room, WLU clipped off a 9-0 spurt to regain a double-digit lead. The 11-point margin was the closest the game got over the final 16 minutes.
Young followed up his 39-point effort at Wheeling Wednesday night with a 23-point game Saturday. He added five rebounds. Djigo notched his 11
th double-double of the year with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Hoffman finished with nine points and a career-best four steals.
CU squares off with MEC rival Charleston in a road contest 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
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