ATHENS, W.Va. – No. 24 Fairmont State men's basketball (5-2, 3-2 Mountain East Conference) fell in its second-consecutive game on Tuesday (Dec. 6) to Concord (6-3, 3-2 MEC) at the Carter Center in Athens, W.Va.
 
Concord opened the game by outscoring Fairmont State 29-13. The Fighting Falcons erased the 16-point deficit and tied the game after a 19-3 run with four minutes left in the first half. The Mountain Lions held a six-point lead after the first half. In the second half, Concord led by as many as 14 points. Again, the Falcons fought back and a Tariq Woody layup with 1:08 on the clock put the Falcons within two points. Fairmont State could not even the score in the final minute of play, and Concord won its fourth-consecutive game.
 
Fairmont State shot 43.5% from the field and 44.0% from downtown. Concord shot 12-of-18 from beyond the arc. Fairmont State won the rebounding battle and outgained Concord by six on the glass. The Falcons shot 12-of-21 from the free-throw line.
 
Isaiah Sanders led all scorers with 26 points while adding six rebounds, five assists and a pair of steals to his stat line. Woody netted 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds. George Mangas finished with 13 points, three steals and six rebounds, while Zyon Dobbs posted 11 points and dished out six assists.
 
Concord led from the jump and ignited a 19-4 scoring run to solidify a 16-point lead in the opening 10 minutes. The Falcons answered and clawed back into the game. A Seth Younkin swat led to Fonz Hale finding David Jolinder under the net for a layup that tied the game, 32-32. The Mountain Lions maintained their lead and went up six points after Amare Smith converted a jump shot to end the first half.
 
The Mountain Lions continued to produce on offense and led by as many as 14 points in the second half. Dobbs distributed a pass to Woody for a fastbreak layup that trimmed the deficit to single digits with 6:08 on the clock. A Jolinder triple put Fairmont State within five points with just over five minutes remaining. Concord's Ethan Heller nailed consecutive three-pointers to increase Concord's cushion to 11 points late in the game. 
 
Mangas' triple with 1:43 on the clock pulled Fairmont State once again within five points. After a CU free throw, Mangas delivered a layup to make the score 83-79 with 1:19 left. The Fairmont State defense forced a turnover and had possession with a chance to cut the deficit to a one-score game. Sanders bluffed a shot and passed the ball to Woody under the basket, who finished the play with a layup. The Falcons trailed by two points with 1:08 on the clock. Concord made three free throws down the stretch and held Fairmont State scoreless until Dobbs made a dunk at the buzzer. Concord hung on for a three-point home win.
 
Fairmont State looks to end its two-game losing streak on Saturday (Dec. 10) when it will return home to face Glenville State. The game will start at 4 p.m. from Joe Retton Arena.