CofC Pick Up 26th Win, Down Elon 88-66

After besting Elon by 18 points last month at TD Arena, the College of Charleston men’s basketball team go on the road and take down the Phoenix 88-66 on their home court Thursday night. With the win Charleston improve to 26-3, becoming the first team in the nation to amass 26 victories this season.

Five CofC players ended up in double figures with Reyne Smith leading the Cougar charge with 15 points, all from beyond the arc. Ryan Larson and Ben Burnham each added three triples as they finished with 13 points apiece. Dalton Bolon made all his 12 points from long range, with Babacar Faye chipping in 10 points while grabbing eight rebounds.

Ante Brzovic just missed out on a double double finishing with nine points to go along with a game best 11 rebounds. For the game the Cougars recorded a season best 18 of 42 from 3-point land, the second most in College of Charleston history.

Both teams traded baskets in the first four minutes of action, with the scored tied at eight all. Laskluster offense by both squads made it a one possession contest, with Charleston holding a slim 15-14 advantage midway through the opening period. That’s when the Cougars started to make their move, finishing the first half on a 29-18 run that allowed for a comfortable 44-32 margin at the break.

As the second half started a 9-0 run by the Cougars including two from Larson extended their lead. When Smith connected on back to back treys Charleston held a 17 point (65-48) advantage with 9:34 remaining on the scoreboard. A short jumper by Elon’s Torrence Watson brought the home team within 10 (71-61) just under the six minute mark.

When Watson made two from the line Elon again trailed by 10 with 4:38 left to play. Sadly, the Phoenix went cold from the point on as the Cougars closed out the contest on a 14-2 run. Watson who is one of the biggest offensive threats in the CAA lead Elon with a game best 25 points, making 10 of 16 from the field including 2 of 3 from beyond the arc. Sean Halloran and Sam Sherry added 14 and 11 point respectively for the Phoenix.

At 7-21 on the season and 5-10 in CAA play Elon were clearly outmatched. The Cougars outpaced the Phoenix 48-30 on the glass, hauling in 18 offenssive boards which lead to 22 second chance points. With one of the best 10 man rotations in the nation, CofC got 38 points from their bench with Benny Buckets aka Burnham and Faye accounting for 23 of that total. With the win the Cougars improve to 14-2 in the CAA and 26-3 overall.

The Cougars will return to action on Thursday, February 23 when Towson comes to TD Arena. Action is set for 7:00 p.m. and will be the first of two games broadcast on CBS Sports Network to conclude the regular season for Charleston. Fans are encouraged to wear black to the contest for the annual black out game.