Concord Snaps Losing Streak With 77-66 Win vs. Wesleyan - Beckley, Bluefield & Lewisburg News, Weather, Sports

Concord Snaps Losing Streak With 77-66 Win vs. Wesleyan

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ATHENS -

Freshman guard Leslie Mack scored a season-high 18 points and the Concord University women's basketball team ended its two-game losing streak with a 77-66 win over West Virginia Wesleyan Monday evening at the Carter Center.

This West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory boosts CU's record to 6-14 overall and 5-9 in the WVIAC. The Bobcat's record drops to 7-11 overall and 6-9 in league play.

Mack pushed her string of consecutive double-digit scoring efforts to four games with her career-night. For the game Mack shot 8-for-12 from the field overall, including a 2-for-3 effort from three-point range. Mack, who is averaging 7.8 points per game on the year, has scored 12.5 ppg in the last four games.

Mack was one of four players to score at least 10 points. Sophomore guard Stephanie Wagner added 13 points while junior guard Amanda Smith and sophomore forward Jacqueline Kestner each chipped in 12 points, respectively.

Senior guard Tanisha Williams came off the bench to dish out a career-high eight assists to go with seven rebounds, which tied for a team-high with Wagner. Kestner and sophomore forward Rachel Artrip both pulled in five rebounds as well in supporting efforts.

Junior center Sammi Webster patrolled the paint and finished with a career-high three blocks.

As a team, Concord enjoyed its second-best shooting performance of the year, hitting 47.4 percent of its shots (27-for-57). The Mountain Lions also held key advantages in turnovers forced (13-11) and free throw shooting (78.3 percent – 63.0 percent).

Concord was ahead for most of the first half, leading by as many as six points, 26-20, with eight minutes to play in the period before a 9-2 run gave the Bobcats a one-point advantage at the three minute mark. However, Concord outscored Wesleyan 6-4 in the half's waning moments thanks to a layup from Williams and two straight baskets by Mack to head into the break leading 34-33.

The Mountain Lions never trailed in the second half. Wesleyan did tie the game at 47-47 midway through the period, but consecutive three-pointers from Artrip and Mack pushed Concord's lead back to comfortable six points.

Defensively, Concord held the Bobcats to just 10-of-29 shooting (34.5 percent) from the field while the Mountain Lions connected on 48.4 percent (15-for-31) of its own shots on the offensive end en route to the 11-point, 76-66 win.

Danesha Richardson had 13 points and 15 rebounds for Wesleyan

Concord returns to action Tuesday at 5:30 vs. Alderson-Broaddus at the Carter Center in a rescheduled game that was postponed due to inclement weather earlier in the season.