Storylines – vs Concord University
Concord will look to halt a five-game losing skid when UVa-Wise comes to town Thursday. At 2-12 overall, the Mountain Lions are off to their worst start to the season in more than a decade. While the wins haven't come yet, several Concord players off to good starts this season. The Mountain Lions have had at least six different players lead the team in scoring in a game while junior Danielle Catron posted back-to-back 20 point games against Urbana and Wheeling Jesuit. Senior guard Alexis Lowery ranks ninth in the MEC in scoring average at 14.7 points per game and has scored 20 or more points four times this season. Guard Emily Boothe averaged 10 points a game for Concord in two meetings against UVa-Wise last season. This year, she will play against her sister Natalie who is a freshman for UVa-Wise.
About UVa-Wise
After falling behind by 14 points at halftime, UVa-Wise got within one point at Wheeling Jesuit Monday before eventually falling to the Cardinals 64-59 in a battle for first place in the MEC. The loss snapped a six-game winning streak for
Kristin Kunzman's team who has been playing some of the best basketball the program has displayed in several seasons. A win Thursday would give UVa-Wise its most wins overall since the 2009-10 campaign with 14 while also giving the Cavaliers nine conference victories. Entering this season, UVa-Wise has not won at least nine league games since claiming 10 wins as a NAIA Division II member of the Appalachian Athletic Conference in the 2009-10 season. Defense and rebounding continue to be at the center of the team's success. During its current three-game road trip, opponents are shooting 28 percent from the floor in the second half through the first two games. Even more impressive is what UVa-Wise has done defending the 3-point line in the second half. In its win at West Liberty, the Cavs limited the Hilltoppers to 1-17 long range shooting in the second half before limiting Wheeling Jesuit to a 1-7 showing in the final 20 minutes. In its most recent meeting against Wheeling Jesuit,
Taylor Sandidge scored a career-high 27 points on 8-9 shooting. The then junior guard made all eight of her free throws to lead a 22-23 showing at the free throw line by the team. Sandidge is currently on a streak of scoring in double figures in 10 consecutive games. The Waynesboro, Va. native has tallied 1,216 points during her career to this point. Teammates
Kayla Carey (1,119) and
Makenzie Cluesman (1,109) have also eclipsed the 1,000-point plateau making the trio the most prolific active scoring threesome in the MEC.
