Concord Cruises Past Fairmont State, 89-58

ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University women's basketball team rolled to an 89-58 win over Fairmont State Monday night in a Mountain East Conference game at the Carter Center.

Concord (15-7, 10-4 MEC) led for more than 34 minutes as the Mountain Lions took the lead with just over three minutes left in the first quarter on a three-pointer by senior forward Olivia Ziolkowski and never looked back.

Ziolkowski's three-pointer was part of a 13-0 run that gave Concord a 19-9 lead with 52 seconds left in the first period before FSU (17-5, 11-4 MEC) got the final bucket of the first period.

Fairmont State scored the first points of the second, but CU stifled the Fighting Falcons and only allowed three points over the next 5:13 of the quarter, taking a 28-16 lead after two of sophomore guard Kenyah Stubbs' 16 points in the game.

Freshman guard Cadence Blackburn got rolling from three-point range as she drilled three triples over the final four minutes of the second, aiding in Concord's 40-25 halftime advantage.

The Mountain Lions kept the pressure on, taking the lead immediately past 20 points, 46-25, in the first 1:09 of the third quarter after four straight points from Stubbs.

The advantage got as high as 28 points in the third quarter, and swelled to a game-best 38 points, 81-43, after a three-pointer from junior guard Alexis Frazee with 5:18 remaining in the game.

The Mountain Lions shot a season-best 57.6 percent from the field, as they hit at least 50 percent of their shots in every quarter. The second quarter was the best for CU as it went 8-for-10 from the floor. Concord's defense was equally as impressive, setting a new season-low for opponent field-goal percentage (27.3 percent/21-for-77).

Four Mountain Lions finished in double figures. Blackburn netted 24 points on 8-for-10 from the floor to go with a 5-for-6 showing from three-point range. Stubbs logged her second double-double of the season with 16 points and 12 rebounds—nine of her rebounds came in the first half.  

Frazee tossed in 14 points off the bench, and senior forward Abbie Smith added 13 points and four blocks. Frazee notched a game-best eight assists, helping lead Concord to 23 assists in the game—tying a season high set at UVa.-Wise in November. Stubbs passed out four assists.

Ziolkowski went for nine points and seven rebounds.

Concord wraps up its homestand 5:30 p.m. Wednesday against West Virginia Wesleyan.