Charleston Wins Road Thriller at Old Dominion, 82-80

Five Freshmen Combine for 40 Pts., CofC Begin CAA Play Next Week

By: CofC Sports Media / HCS Sports

Norfolk, Virginia – Charleston Basketball ended its 2021-22 nonconference slate in style with a wild, gritty road victory over Old Dominion on Wednesday night. The Cougars topped ODU, 82-80, punctuated by a game-winning floater in the lane from freshman Babacar Faye with 27 seconds remaining.

The Cougars finish nonconference play 8-4 overall with three true road wins already under their belt. CofC used a balanced effort and an impressive display from its group of five freshmen to upend the Monarchs. Seven Cougars chipped in at least eight points, including a freshmen quartet of Reyne Smith (10 pts.), Ben Burnham (10 pts.), Raekwon Horton (9 pts.) and Babacar Faye (8 pts.).

Burnham’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer to end the first half gave CofC a 41-39 halftime lead after a deadlocked opening 20 minutes. Charleston came roaring out of the gate in the second half, going on a 13-4 run to build a 64-52 lead paced by back-to-back trifectas from Smith.

In a game of runs, Old Dominion responded and chipped away at the Charleston lead. The Monarchs clawed back behind 46 free throw attempts to take an 80-78 edge with 1:56 remaining. CofC would go on to hold ODU scoreless for the final 1:56. After a clutch putback from Burnham, the Cougars got a key stop to set up a final offensive possession. That’s when Faye nailed the game-winning floater to seal a thrilling road victory.

Charleston dominated the glass once again, outrebounding Old Dominion, 46-32, including 19 offensive boards. CofC outscored the Monarchs, 40-14, in the paint.

Up Next
The Cougars open Colonial Athletic Association play at TD Arena on Wednesday, Dec. 29. CofC hosts Drexel in the league opener in the Holy City with tip-off set for 6 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.

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