Women?s Hoops to Host Defending CAA Champion James Madison
1/24/2015 2:37:00 PM | Women's Basketball
College of Charleston (4-14, 2-4 CAA) James Madison (16-2, 7-0 CAA)
Game #19
Date: Sunday, Jan. 25, 2015
Tip-off: 2:00 p.m.
City: Charleston, S.C.
Arena: TD Arena (5,100)
Series History: Series tied, 1-1
Last Meeting: CofC def. JMU, 85-78 on 2/27/14
THE COACHES
College of Charleston: Candice M. Jackson
1st Year at CofC: 4-14 (.222)
All-Time Record: 4-14 (.222)
James Madison: Kenny Brooks
13th Season at JMU: 295-116 (.717)
All-Time Record: 295-116 (.717)
FOLLOW LIVE
Live Stream: Stretch Internet
Live Stream Link: http://bit.ly/15bUKje
Live Stats Link: http://bit.ly/1Cf0TZm
Twitter: @CofCWBasketball
GAME PREVIEW
Following a quick mid-week trip to Delaware, the College of Charleston women's basketball team is set to welcome the 2013-14 CAA regular season and conference tournament champion, James Madison, to TD Arena for a 2:00 p.m. matinee clash.
James Madison is one of the premier mid-major programs in the country, led by conference's leading scorer and preseason player of the year, Precious Hall (20.9 ppg).
The Cougars enter the match-up sitting in eighth-place overall in the league, just one game back of both Delaware and UNCW. Individually, the Cougars are led by a core five of Bre Bolden, Erin Hall, Christy Hewatt, Jacqueline Luna-Castro and Shiclasia Brown. Bolden, one of the most athletic players in the conference, is the team's leader in points (11.8), rebounds (6.5), steals (3.4) and minutes played (33.2), while Hall is the squad's most potent threat from behind the arc, where she's shooting at a 32% clip. Hewatt and Luna-Castro have been the team's primary contributors on the low-block, combining for 18 points and 11 rebounds per outing, while freshman point guard Shicalsia Brown continues to improve, averaging 3.5 assists per game.
Also seeing big minutes for the Cougars is sophomore forward Courtney Gardner, as well as senior center Mikaela Hopkins. In the back-court, Shanique Heard, Shannon Hines and Breannah Davis-Bloom have all played significant minutes throughout the season.
As a team, the Cougars have been tough on the offensive glass, averaging 13.7 boards per contest, while also disrupting the passing lanes with an impressive eight steals per game. However, the Cougars Achilles heel this season has been their inability to score consistently; CofC is averaging a conference low 55.0 ppg.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION: JAMES MADISON
13th-year head coach Kenny Brooks has his Dukes rolling again in 2014-15, carrying a 16-2 record in to Sunday's game, including an undefeated conference mark. After early season wins over power conference opponents UCLA and Pittsburgh, the Dukes have been very good in CAA play where they average a league best 73.5 ppg. Talented at all five positions, the Dukes only losses this season have come to highly-touted Maryland and Vanderbilt. The Dukes are the only team in the CAA to have started the same five players in every game this season.
JMU Projected Starters
G | 12 | Precious Hall | 5-8 | Jr.
G | 32 | Angela Mickens | 5-7 | Jr.
G | 24 | Jazmone Gwathmey | 6-2 |Jr.
F | 03 | Toia Giggetts | 6-0 | Sr.
F | 22 | Lauren Okafor | 6-3 | Sr.
LOOKING BACK AT THE LAST MATCHUP: COFC 85, JAMES MADISON 78 (02/27/14)
In the last meeting between the two teams, the College of Charleston women's basketball team claimed a surprise victory, upsetting the eventual regular season and conference tournament champions, James Madison, 85-78, in front of over 1,700 at TD Arena.
The College (15-12, 8-6 CAA at the time) led the Dukes in every major statistical category and had four players score in double figures, including a sparkling 26-point performance from senior preseason All-CAA selection Alyssa Frye (Chester, Va.), en route to handing the Dukes their first conference loss
of the season. Afreyea Tolbert (Teaneck, N.J.) also pitched in with her tenth double-double of the year, dropping 19 points and grabbing 13 rebounds while junior center Mikaela Hopkins (Augusta, Ga.) scored 8 points down the stretch – as part of a gamechanging11-2 run – to see out the Cougars' signature win.
COFC STATISTICAL LEADERS (P/Game Averages):
Points: Bre Bolden (11.8)
Rebounds: Bre Bolden (6.5)
Assists: Shiclasia Brown (3.5)
Minutes: Bre Bolden (33.9)
Steals: Bre Bolden (3.5)
CONNECTING WITH THE COUGARS
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