Charleston, WV – The Golden Eagles returned home to the Wehrle Innovation Center on Wednesday night to face Concord in a key Mountain East Conference matchup, with both teams entering the contest owning identical conference records.

The Basics

• Location: Wehrle Innovation Center
• Final Score: UC 71, CU 73 
• Records: Charleston (10-7, 7-3 MEC), Concord (12-5, 8-2 MEC)

How It Happened
Concord controlled much of the opening quarter. After a tightly contested first four minutes, the Mountain Lions began to pull away. Charleston briefly closed the gap to one following a layup from Ksenija Mitric, but Concord responded with a 10–2 run to build a double-digit lead. A late three-pointer from Jordan Scully trimmed the deficit, sending the Golden Eagles into the second quarter trailing 20–13.
Charleston came out with increased intensity in the second. With 8:50 remaining, Scully knocked down another triple to cut the lead to four. After a Concord basket, the Golden Eagles surged again, pulling within one during a quick run. The teams traded baskets for the remainder of the half, and Concord carried a slim 36–33 advantage into the break.

The Mountain Lions opened the third quarter with four straight points before Harper Annarino answered with a three-pointer. The backcourt duo of Scully and Paris Stokes kept Charleston within striking distance with their ball-handling and scoring. Freshman Natallie Smith tied the game at 49 with two minutes remaining at the free-throw line, but Concord finished the quarter strong and edged ahead 55–53 heading into the fourth.
The final quarter was tightly contested from start to finish, featuring seven tie scores. With 1:24 left, Concord's leading scorer Abbie Smith fouled out, giving Charleston an opportunity to capitalize. Bridget Womber converted inside to put the Golden Eagles ahead by two. Concord responded with an and-one to regain the lead. In the closing seconds, Stokes went 1-for-2 from the free-throw line to knot the game at 71, but the Mountain Lions had the final say, knocking down a two-point jumper at the buzzer to secure the 73–71 victory.

Paris Stokes and Jordan Scully led Charleston with a combined 33 points. The loss marked the Golden Eagles' first defeat of the 2026 calendar year.

Next Up 
Charleston remains at home for a rivalry matchup against West Virginia State on Saturday, January 24, with tipoff set for 12 p.m.