MEC WBB Quarterfinal Preview: #4 Frostburg State vs #5 Concord

WHEELING, W. Va. - For the third consecutive season, Frostburg State Women's Basketball is headed to WesBanco Arena on Thursday, entering the MEC Tournament as the No. 4 seed where they will face Concord, the fifth seed, for the second straight year. 
 
How They Got Here: In their third year under Head Coach Jenna Eckleberry, Frostburg has qualified each year for the conference tournament.  The Bobcats currently hold a 18-10 overall record and a 12-8 showing in MEC play, working their way to fourth place in the conference. 
 
Concord takes the fifth seed in the MEC, posting a 15-13 overall record and an 11-9 record in conference play.  The Mountain Lions finished the regular season with a huge 99-75 win over Glenville State, gifting them the move to fifth place in the conference. 
 
The Matchup: The two teams have quite the historic battle between their two competitive squads, with CU holding the 7-5 advantage over Frostburg.  The teams split the series during the regular season, with FSU taking their home matchup in December 74-64, and Concord sinking a last second shot to capture the win on their home floor 79-77 during the month of February.  The two teams faced off in last years quarterfinals of the MEC Tournament, where the Mountain Lions converted the 84-69 upset to move on. 
 
The Players: Frostburg is led by star player Emilee Weakley, who rounds out her time in a Bobcat uniform this year, taking her third straight First Team All-MEC honor.  Weakley leads all divisions of NCAA Women's Basketball in scoring with 28.1 ppg, while averaging 8.8 rpg for fifth best in the MEC.  During the regular season, Weakley became the all-time leading scorer in program history, passing the great Shelia Colbert, while also surpassing the 2,000 career points mark in just three years.  Joining her as an offensive weapon is Second Team All-MEC member senior Taylor Smith, who is second on the team in scoring with 10.5 ppg, leading the team in three point percentage (45.6%) and assists per game (4.4).  Freshman Julie Spinelli sits right behind Smith in scoring, as the third Bobcat to average double figures, holding on to 10.1 ppg and six rebounds per game.  Sophomore Alanna Tate and graduate Sarah Shamdeen fulfill their role on both sides of the court with the former leading the team in field goal percentage, shooting 58.9% from the field.  Senior Jasmine Johnson serves as FSU's big underneath, averaging 6.3 rpg and leading the team in blocks with 47. 
 
Concord starts underneath with their First Team All-MEC member Abbie Smith, who averages a double-double and team-highs of 17.4 ppg and 10.5 rpg.  Smith also leads the team in field goal percentage (53.2%) and free throw percentage (79.5%), with also adding a team-high 21 blocks.  Skylar Davidson received a spot the All-MEC Second team, showing 11.9 ppg for second most on the team, while also dishing out a team-high 143 assists for a 5.3 average and capturing 89 steals, leading the conference in both categories.  Imani Hickman and Sanaiya Morris are the other pair of Mountain Lions to average double figures, seeing 10.9 and 10.8 ppg.  Hickman is second on the team in rebounds per game with 5.7, while Morris is second on the team in assists with 60 on the year so far. 
 
Wednesday, March 5 – MEC First Round
#7 West Virginia State def. #10 Point Park 82-58
#8 Charleston def. #9 West Liberty 66-43
 
Thursday, March 6 – MEC Quarterfinals
#2 West Virginia Wesleyan vs. #7 West Virginia State – 12 PM
#3 Wheeling vs. #6 Glenville State – 2:30 PM
#1 Fairmont State vs. #8 Charleston – 6 PM
#4 Frostburg State vs. #5 Concord – 8:30 PM