ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University men's basketball team was clipped by nationally-ranked, ninth-rated Fairmont State Monday night in a Mountain East Conference contest inside the Carter Center.
Fairmont State (19-3, 13-2 MEC) jumped out to a 16-3 advantage, but Concord (11-11, 7-7 MEC) dug back in with the help of back-to-back three-pointers from sophomore guard
Josiah Rickards and junior guard
Khamani Wertz as CU was down 16-11 with 13:40 left in the first half.
The Fighting Falcons opened back up a double-digit lead of 26-16 and still led 35-23 with 4:22 remaining in the opening half. However, the Mountain Lions scored the final five points of first half, and overall held FSU scoreless for 6:45 of the game, spanning the halves, as Concord went on an extended 11-0 run to cut the deficit to 35-34 after a bucket from junior forward
Boubacar Djigo.
Fairmont State finally got the lid off the basket on the next possession, but the Maroon and Gray had an immediate response as senior guard
Savier McCall canned a three-pointer with 17:35 remaining to tie the game at 37-37.
FSU scored the next six, but Djigo kept Concord hanging around with a three-point play at the 15:08 mark. With just under 12 minutes remaining, junior forward
Eldon Terry canned a top of the key triple to reduce the lead to 46-45.
Over the next three minutes, CU stayed within two possessions of Fairmont State until FSU went up 60-52 with 8:48 remaining. The Mountain Lions had one last push as Rickards finished off a 12-5 run to trim the lead to 69-64 at the 2:26 mark. But, it was as close as Concord got.
Djigo finished with a double-double of 19 points and 13 rebounds. He added two blocks. Junior forward
Anfernee Hanna threw in 16 points and seven rebounds. Rickards netted 14 points, and Wertz recorded 11 points and a game-high five assists. Terry pulled down nine rebounds and matched Djigo's two blocks.
CU finished 22-for-26 at the free-throw line and outrebounded Fairmont State, 43-33, but was unable to overcome a 34.9 percent shooting night.
Concord concludes a three-game homestand 7:30 p.m. Wednesday against West Virginia Wesleyan.
Â
