Cougars at Eastern Kentucky for CBI First Round Game
3/17/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The College of Charleston men's basketball team travels to Richmond, Ky., to face Eastern Kentucky in first round action at the College Basketball Invitational Wednesday, Mar. 17 at 7 p.m.
Charleston, 21-11 overall, is in the CBI for the second time in as many seasons. The Cougars went 1-1 last year, defeating Troy, 93-91, before falling to Richmond, 74-72, in the quarterfinals.
The Cougars, who ended the regular season with at least 20 wins for the 23rd time in 30 years, fell to Appalachian State, 77-54, in the Southern Conference tournament semifinals.
Charleston is led by Andrew Goudelock (Lilburn Ga.) with 19.4 points a game. Jeremy Simmons paces the team in rebounds with 7.9 a game (Lithonia, Ga.).
The Colonels are 20-12 overall and 11-7 in the Ohio Valley Conference and were edged by Eastern Illinois, 68-61, in the OVC Tournament quarterfinals. Justin Stommes leads EKU with 14.3 points per game, while Spencer Perring paces EKU with 4.9 rebounds a game.
Charleston is 7-3 in its last 10 games and averages 75.1 points per game, compared to 71.8 for the opposition. The Cougars are shooting 34.4 percent from beyond the three-point arc, have 24 more blocks, 42-18, and have had 30 less turnovers, 92-122, than the other teams.
The Cougars are 3-2 against OVC Opponents in the last 20 seasons. Charleston defeated OVC's SIU-Edwardsville, 72-66, in the ESPN Charleston Classic in 2008-09.
Charleston will be without the services of Rashad Wright (Agawan, Mass.), Casaan Breeden (Clio, S.C.), Garrett Campbell (Myrtle Beach, S.C.), Jordan Turok (Chapin, S.C.) and Quasim Pugh (Brooklyn, M.Y.). According to Head Coach Bobby Cremins, they are staying behind to concentrate on their academic work.
