Sunday, November 13
Charleston, S.C.
2:00 PM
College of Charleston
vs
Charlotte
Photo by: Al Samuels
Cougars Open Season at Home Against Visiting 49ers
11/12/2016 4:23:00 PM | Women's Basketball
CHARLESTON, S.C. - After putting their skills on display earlier in the month in their 66-57 exhibition win over Armstrong State, the College of Charleston women's basketball team is finally ready to get its season underway in earnest Sunday afternoon when they host the Charlotte 49ers (1-0) at 2 p.m. in TD Arena.
The College looks to begin the season on a high note in hopes of improving upon last year's 11-20 season. The Cougars finished the 2015-16 season as the No. 8 seed in the CAA Tournament, and following a win over UNCW in the First Round, the Cougars very nearly shocked the James Madison Dukes in the quarterfinals. CofC led for almost the entirety of the game, but JMU seized the lead in the waning seconds to prevent the colossal upset.
"It was disappointing to lose that game, but I'm still incredibly proud of the effort we put forth," head coach Candice M. Jackson said. "We played to the best of our capability, and it really lit a fire under our ladies. It brought back a sense of who we can be and what we want to become, and they've carried that with them all through the summer."
Senior guard Breanna Bolden embarks upon her senior season with the College, and will assuredly go down as one of the best the Lowcountry has ever seen. Through only three seasons, Bolden already ranks among the Top 10 in several career-records in the CofC Division I era. Most notably, Bolden ranks second in career steals at 235, and has been among the Top 20 in the nation in the category for the past two straight seasons. Already a member of the 1000-point club with 1136 points, Bolden enters the season as the eighth-most prolific scorer in the CofC Division I era, and will look to make strides toward the top of that list in her senior campaign.
"We're very fortunate to have a player like Bre with us again this year," Jackson said. "She has her sights set very high for herself and for her team this season, and we look forward to seeing what she brings in her senior season."
Nola Henry and Darien Huff both make their return to the CofC backcourt, with the two combining for 59 starts last year. Henry ran the point for the College, averaging a 4-3-4 in 29 minutes per game. Huff on the other hand was the Cougars' go-to option at shooting guard, providing a good scoring option from beyond the arc with a team-high 29 threes while adding sound defense as well. Dajah Logan and Shiclasia Brown also return to add backcourt depth off the bench.
Both starting members of last year's frontcourt, Jackie Luna-Castro and Kelsey Booth, are gone from last year's roster, leaving Courtney Gardner and Bri Sullivan as the only returning forwards that saw action in 2015-16. However, both Tanisha Brown and Bri Boyd were around the program in a redshirt capacity last season, and will make their CofC debuts this year. Brown in particular is looking at this opening matchup with Charlotte in earnest, as the redshirt junior originally played there before transferring to the Lowcountry.
The Cougars added four freshmen in the offseason. Baileigh Larson, a post out of Orange Park, Fla., will likely see big minutes for the College right away as she looks to help fill the role left behind by Booth. On the wing, Cailin Dorsey of Raleigh N.C. is a gifted shooter who will look to give the Cougars an extra punch on offense. That leaves Deja Ford and Dee Heath, both of whom will provide backcourt depth in combo-guard roles.
The Cougars and 49ers met last year in Charlotte in a game which got away from the College. Charlotte pulled off the 89-61 win, but they may find it difficult to reenact that feat this time around. In addition to the change of venue, two of Charlotte's Top 3 scorers from that outing are no longer with the team in 2016-17. Bolden was the standout for the Cougars in that game, putting up an 18-7 performance with a whopping seven steals. It was the first time the two teams had played one another since the College became a full-fledged Division I member.
Lefty Webster is Charlotte's top-returner, having averaged a 14-6-3 while adding 62 steals and 25 blocks. Grace Hunter was also a key fixture for the 49ers last season, averaging an 11-7 while adding 26 steals and 18 blocks. Charlotte's season officially began on Friday with a home-win against Wisconsin by a score of 63-48. Webster and Laia Raventos led the way with very similar stat lines, combining for 32 points, 15 rebounds, nine assists and four steals in the win.
Tipoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. in TD Arena on Sunday. Tickets are still available by visiting CofCSports.com/Tickets or by calling (843) 953-COFC.
The College looks to begin the season on a high note in hopes of improving upon last year's 11-20 season. The Cougars finished the 2015-16 season as the No. 8 seed in the CAA Tournament, and following a win over UNCW in the First Round, the Cougars very nearly shocked the James Madison Dukes in the quarterfinals. CofC led for almost the entirety of the game, but JMU seized the lead in the waning seconds to prevent the colossal upset.
"It was disappointing to lose that game, but I'm still incredibly proud of the effort we put forth," head coach Candice M. Jackson said. "We played to the best of our capability, and it really lit a fire under our ladies. It brought back a sense of who we can be and what we want to become, and they've carried that with them all through the summer."
Senior guard Breanna Bolden embarks upon her senior season with the College, and will assuredly go down as one of the best the Lowcountry has ever seen. Through only three seasons, Bolden already ranks among the Top 10 in several career-records in the CofC Division I era. Most notably, Bolden ranks second in career steals at 235, and has been among the Top 20 in the nation in the category for the past two straight seasons. Already a member of the 1000-point club with 1136 points, Bolden enters the season as the eighth-most prolific scorer in the CofC Division I era, and will look to make strides toward the top of that list in her senior campaign.
"We're very fortunate to have a player like Bre with us again this year," Jackson said. "She has her sights set very high for herself and for her team this season, and we look forward to seeing what she brings in her senior season."
Nola Henry and Darien Huff both make their return to the CofC backcourt, with the two combining for 59 starts last year. Henry ran the point for the College, averaging a 4-3-4 in 29 minutes per game. Huff on the other hand was the Cougars' go-to option at shooting guard, providing a good scoring option from beyond the arc with a team-high 29 threes while adding sound defense as well. Dajah Logan and Shiclasia Brown also return to add backcourt depth off the bench.
Both starting members of last year's frontcourt, Jackie Luna-Castro and Kelsey Booth, are gone from last year's roster, leaving Courtney Gardner and Bri Sullivan as the only returning forwards that saw action in 2015-16. However, both Tanisha Brown and Bri Boyd were around the program in a redshirt capacity last season, and will make their CofC debuts this year. Brown in particular is looking at this opening matchup with Charlotte in earnest, as the redshirt junior originally played there before transferring to the Lowcountry.
The Cougars added four freshmen in the offseason. Baileigh Larson, a post out of Orange Park, Fla., will likely see big minutes for the College right away as she looks to help fill the role left behind by Booth. On the wing, Cailin Dorsey of Raleigh N.C. is a gifted shooter who will look to give the Cougars an extra punch on offense. That leaves Deja Ford and Dee Heath, both of whom will provide backcourt depth in combo-guard roles.
The Cougars and 49ers met last year in Charlotte in a game which got away from the College. Charlotte pulled off the 89-61 win, but they may find it difficult to reenact that feat this time around. In addition to the change of venue, two of Charlotte's Top 3 scorers from that outing are no longer with the team in 2016-17. Bolden was the standout for the Cougars in that game, putting up an 18-7 performance with a whopping seven steals. It was the first time the two teams had played one another since the College became a full-fledged Division I member.
Lefty Webster is Charlotte's top-returner, having averaged a 14-6-3 while adding 62 steals and 25 blocks. Grace Hunter was also a key fixture for the 49ers last season, averaging an 11-7 while adding 26 steals and 18 blocks. Charlotte's season officially began on Friday with a home-win against Wisconsin by a score of 63-48. Webster and Laia Raventos led the way with very similar stat lines, combining for 32 points, 15 rebounds, nine assists and four steals in the win.
Tipoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. in TD Arena on Sunday. Tickets are still available by visiting CofCSports.com/Tickets or by calling (843) 953-COFC.
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