GREENVILLE, S.C. – Three players scored in double figures as the College of Charleston brought Furman's undefeated home winning streak to a halt at five games with a 76-72 road victory on Thursday night at Timmons Arena.
The Cougars (10-5, 3-0) are now off to a 3-0 start to Southern Conference play and remain tied at the top of the league standings with defending champion Wofford (6-8, 3-0) and Chattanooga (7-8, 3-0).
CofC could never break open the see-saw game which saw 16 lead changes and nine ties. When the Cougars scored or went on a short run, the Paladins (10-4, 2-1) would do the same. They managed only a six-point lead twice in the contest including a jumper by senior Jeremy Simmons (Lithonia, Ga.) to go up 15-9 in the early going.
After being held to single digits against Morehead State on Jan. 2, preseason Southern Conference Player of the Year Andrew Goudelock (Stone Mountain, Ga.) found his shot against Furman and scored 14 of his game-high 31 points in the first half. With time about to expire on the clock, Goudelock hit a floating jumper to give CofC a 38-37 halftime lead.
The second half mirrored the first as both teams exchanged baskets. A three-pointer by sophomore Andrew Lawrence (London, England) with 8:30 left in regulation put the Cougars up again by six, 61-55, but the Paladins wouldn't go down without a fight.
Furman's Amu Saaka made a layup with 2:40 to go to tie things up for the third time in the half, 70-70. Goudelock responded with a jumper with 41 seconds left to regain the momentum as the Paladins had no choice but to foul, after a missed three-pointer by Saaka. Goudelock was sent to the line twice on one-and-one attempts and made all four down the stretch to secure the win for the Cougars.
Sophomore Willis Hall (Charlotte, N.C.) turned in his second-straight double-figure game with 11, while senior Donavan Monroe (Waxhaw, N.C.) added 10. Saaka paced the Paladins with 27.
Up next, CofC will close out its four-game road swing at Wofford on Saturday, Jan. 8 at Johnson Arena. Tipoff is slated for 6 p.m. (ET) and the game will televised live regionally on CSS and broadcast live on ESPN 910 Radio in Charleston.
POSTGAME NOTES
• For the 13th time this season, CofC used the starting five of senior Donavan Monroe, senior Andrew Goudelock, junior Antwaine Wiggins, sophomore Willis Hall and senior Jeremy Simmons (8-5).
• With the victory, the Cougars have now won six consecutive games in the all-time series with Furman. It marked only their 34th victory in 74 meetings with the Paladins.
• The last five contests played on the road in Greenville, S.C., have been decided by eight points or less as CofC escaped with a four-point win. The Cougars became the first team to beat the Paladins at home this season.
• Andrew Goudelock scored 14 of his game-high 31 points in the first half of play versus Furman. It marked his fourth career 30-point game. He has now recorded 2,045 career points and is 91 shy of breaking the school's all-time scoring record held by Ken Gustafson (2,135). Goudelock also dished out eight assists and brought down six boards.
• The Cougars shot 55.8 percent from the floor (29-of-52) against the Paladins which was their third-best field-goal percentage in a single game this season. They also knocked down 50 percent of their attempts from beyond the arc (7-of-14).
• CofC outrebounded its opponent for the seventh time this year with a 32-27 advantage over Furman, a team who averaged 37.2 boards and a +6.2 rebound margin against opponents leading into the game.
POSTGAME QUOTES
College of Charleston Head Coach Bobby Cremins
On the game …
“We finally made some stops and Drew (Goudelock) made some really big shots and also had eight assists. Amu Saaka is tough and we had trouble stopping him. We just played some great basketball. Anytime you win on the road, it can be anyone's game in the last minute. Furman played very well. They are the most-improved team in the conference. They can shoot and do a lot of great things. We are fortunate we have a great guard in Drew Goudelock and he made some big plays like he always does. Willis Hall and Andrew Lawrence also made some big threes. We had to earn this one tonight. This was a heck of a Southern Conference game.”
College of Charleston Senior Guard Andrew Goudelock
On the game …
“Everyone knew in the locker room that this was a going to be a hard-fought win. We knew Furman had some great wins under them and beat South Carolina. They are a much-improved team. We were just happy to come away with a win tonight. It's not easy to go on Southern Conference road trips and win. It's very tough and I'm just proud of everyone's efforts. We played as a team tonight, and, down the stretch, we executed, defended and rebounded. Wofford will be another tough test for us in just a few days.”
On the big picture …
“The road is just tough. Each Southern Conference game we win, it just adds to our resume. We want to win that regular-season championship. It's tougher than people think, but we continue to fight. We are fortunate to win 1-out-of-2 on this road trip so far. We took a step forward and we need to keep moving.”
