ELKINS, W. Va— A back-and-forth game between Davis & Elkins and Concord on Wednesday night produced a thrilling finish, but Concord took a late lead and held on to win, 69-66, inside the McDonnell Center on Wednesday night.
After Davis & Elkins jumped out to an early lead behind two
Jay Kilpatrick three-pointers, the Mountain Lions closed the gap early in the second quarter, tying the game up at the five-minute mark. Holding a six-point advantage late, the Senators went on a 7-0 run to regain the lead, taking a one-point margin into the halftime break.
Throughout the third quarter, the two teams exchanged baskets consistently, as neither team held more than a single possession advantage through the bulk of the period. Concord took a 53-51 lead into the fourth quarter, but
Courtney Roth's first basket of the night tied the game up with nine minutes remaining. Over the next seven minutes, the two teams remained back and forth, until a long three-pointer by
Jessica Eadsforth-Yates put the Senators on top 66-63 with 1:41 left in the game.
After a pair of free-throws gave Concord a 67-66 lead with seven seconds to go, a last-ditch effort to force the final shot couldn't tie the game up, and the Mountain Lions held on for a 69-66 victory.
Kilpatrick led the Senators with 16 points, while
Jamiyah Johnson finished with 15 points and 15 rebounds for her 22nd double-double of the season.
Sydney Nestor added 11 points and
Peyton Mohler posted a game-high seven assists. Madison May, the Mountain Lions' leading scorer, finished with a game-high 22 points.
THE RUNDOWN
- Concord (17-8, 13-6 MEC) - 69
- Davis & Elkins (7-18, 6-13 MEC) - 66
- The McDonnell Center - Elkins, W. Va.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- An early pair of three-pointers by Kilpatrick sparked the Senators' scoring, as D&E took an early lead, holding a 15-10 margin into the first break.
- Concord rallied to knot the game at 24 midway through the second quarter, taking their first lead of the night with four minutes remaining.
- Nestor tied the game at 32 with one minute remaining in the first half, and a pair of Johnson free throws gave the Senators a 34-33 lead at halftime.
- The third quarter was a constant exchange of points between the two teams, but D&E took the lead 50-49 with just under two minutes left off Eadsforth-Yates' fast break off Kilpatrick's steal.
- Much of the same occurred throughout the fourth quarter, but Eadsforth-Yates drained a three-pointer with 1:41 remaining to give D&E a 66-63 lead.
- Concord scored their final four points off of free throws, holding off the Senators' final efforts to complete the victory, 69-66.
GAME NOTES
- In the marquee match-up of the night, two of the nation's premier statistical players faced off as Concord's Riley Fitzwater (second in Blocks per Game) and D&E's Johnson (second in rebounds/game), but after getting into foul trouble early, Fitzwater was limited to six points and just one blocked shot.
- With her 20th consecutive double-double, Johnson is now in sole possession of the second longest streak in Division II history.
- Mohler set a career-high with seven assists.
- Nestor recorded her eighth straight double digit scoring output.
UP NEXT
- Davis & Elkins will take to the road for their final three games of the regular season, making the trip to Glenville State on Saturday for a 1:00 P.M. tipoff.
