College of Charleston
8-22 (3-14CAA)
Hofstra
19-11 (10-7CAA)
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston | 14 | 26 | 40 |
| Hofstra | 31 | 42 | 73 |
Hofstra Too Much For Cougars In 73-40 Setback
2/26/2015 4:05:00 AM | Men's Basketball
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – Four players scored in double figures to lead Hofstra to a 73-40 victory over College of Charleston on Wednesday night at the Mack Sports Complex.
The Pride (19-11, 10-7) was led by a double-double performance from Moussa Kone with 16 points and 10 rebounds and 15 points from Ameen Tanksley. They have now won three of their last four contests as the Colonial Athletic Association races heats up.
The Cougars (8-22, 3-14) shot a season-low 23.1 percent from the field (12-of-52) including 2-for-15 from long range. They couldn't find an answer as Hofstra blew past them in a 22-9 run powered by the combination of Kone and Tanksley.
CofC got off to a 6-0 run at the on-set of the second half, but it was short-lived as three consecutive triples from Dion Nesmith, Juan'ya Green and Brian Bernardi gave the Pride a 40-20 advantage with 16:34 remaining in regulation. Green and Bernardi ended the night with 10 and 12 points respectively.
Sophomore Joe Chealey (Orlando, Fla.) and freshman Donovan Gilmore (Greensboro, N.C.) each scored a team-high 11 points in the road loss. The Cougars committed 14 turnovers in the ballgame, which Hofstra converted into 19 points towards its positioning to remain in contention for a first-round tournament bye next week in Baltimore.
CofC will host preseason CAA favorite Northeastern in its regular-season finale on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 8 p.m. (ET) at TD Arena. The game will be televised nationally on the American Sports Network. Tickets are still available for purchase by calling: (843) 953-COFC.
POSTGAME NOTES
• For the third time this season and third consecutive game, the Cougars went with the starting five of Joe Chealey, Cameron Johnson, Canyon Barry, Evan Bailey and Adjehi Baru (1-2).
• Hofstra improved to 3-1 in the all-time series with College of Charleston as the Cougars remain winless on the road in two all-time tries at Hempstead, N.Y.
• Joe Chealey extended his career-best double-digit scoring streak to nine games with a team-high tying 11 points at Hofstra. He also added five rebounds and three assists.
• Donovan Gilmore also scored in double figures with a team-high tying 11 points at Hofstra. It was his first game in double digits since 12 points versus Delaware on Jan. 10.
• Anthony Stitt made a season-best and career-high tying four steals at Hofstra.
• Glen Pierre, Jr., tied a career-high with three-blocked shots at Hofstra next to three swats versus Towson on Feb. 15.
• The Cougars tied a season-low 40 points at Miami (Fla.) on Dec. 30, 2014 it marked their largest margin of loss (-33) this season.
• In back-to-back games, CofC held James Madison's and Hofstra's leading scorers without a basket in the first half and under their scoring average including Juan'ya Green (17.5 ppg) to 10 points, which was scored in the second half of play.
POSTGAME QUOTES
College of Charleston Head Coach Earl Grant
On what was said in the locker room after the game ...
“We talked about pride in the locker room. We didn't come out prepared and we (coaching staff) have to take the blame for us not being able to play tonight. You have games like this. It happens to you once-or-twice a year. We got off to a bad start. The big thing that hurt us at the beginning of the game was traveling calls – about five of the first 10 posessions. They (Hofstra) were really aggressive tonight and we weren't locked in.”
On the play of freshman Donovan Gilmore off the bench …
“Donovan (Gilmore) played well. He really scored the ball and got to the free throw line tonight. It was good to see him come off the bench and play with that kind of energy. We just didn't have enough guys tonight.”
On defending Hofstra …
“They attacked the rim. There were times we should have drived it and shot it. It's always a combination of some things – trying to attack their offense and their defense. They (Hofstra) went zone for the first possession of the game and we had opportunities to drive it, but shot it. We got off to a bad start and they were making shots. We dug ourselves into a deep hole and couldn't get out of it tonight.”
On preparing for the regular-season finale at home against Northeastern …
“Northeastern is a good team and we have to be ready to play them. We have to get back and try to lick our wounds and just know this wasn't our night. We know this isn't representative of College of Charleston Basketball and have to do a better job.”
