CHARLESTON, S.C. – Joe Chealey registered a team-high 17 points as College of Charleston claimed a 12-point victory over USC Upstate, 72-60, on Sunday night at TD Arena.
 
The Cougars (4-3) snapped a three-game losing skid after a tough stretch against UCF, Wake Forest and No. 2-ranked and defending national champion Villanova.
 
Nick Harris notched a career-high and fell short of a double-double with 16 points and nine rebounds, while Jarrell Brantley turned in his seventh career double-double with 11 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
 
CofC led the entire ballgame including a 34-26 edge at halftime. The Cougars also shot 42.4 percent from the field behind Harris' perfect 8-of-8 accuracy from the floor. They also outrebounded USC Upstate in both program's first-ever meeting, 39-35.
 
The Spartans (3-3) were led by 7-foot big man Michael Buchanan, who turned in a game-high 21 points and six rebounds. They also had their two-game win streak halted and were held defensively to a season-low 60 points.
 
The Cougars continue their four-game homestand with a rematch scheduled against Navy (3-4) on Thursday, Dec. 1 at 7:30 p.m. (ET) at TD Arena. The game will be televised live locally on MyTV Charleston.
 
Thursday's game promotion is Hero Day and all military, veterans and first responders can receive two free tickets to the game (must show proper ID to pick-up tickets) by calling the CofC Ticket Office at: (843) 953-COFC, stopping by the CofC Ticket Box Office at TD Arena or by reserving your tickets by e-mail at: sportsmarketing@cofc.edu by Wednesday, Nov. 30 at 5 p.m.
 
POSTGAME NOTES

• Both teams met for the first time in program history. The Cougars take a 1-0 lead in the all-time series with USC Upstate.
• The Cougar defense held USC Upstate to a season-low 60 points. The Spartans were coming off a 108-103 overtime victory at Charlotte on Nov. 22.
• For the fourth time this season, CofC led at halftime (4-0) by its second-largest margin (8) at the half next to 10 versus Boise State in the ESPN Gildan Charleston Classic on Nov. 17 at TD Arena.
• The Cougars improved to 3-0 on the season against in-state schools with wins over The Citadel, Coastal Carolina and USC Upsatte.
• Jarrell Brantley recorded his seventh career double-double and second of the season with 11 points and a game-high 11 rebounds versus USC Upstate. He extended his double-digit scoring streak to seven games.
• Nick Harris turned in a career-high 16 points and nine rebounds on a perfect 8-for-8 shooting from the field.
• Joe Chealey registered his fifth game this season in double figures with a team-high 17 points. He also dished out four assists and made one steal.
• Cameron Johnson led Charleston with five of the team's 15 assists in the ballgame.
• The Cougars shot their second-best percentage (42.4%) from the field this season against USC Upstate (28-of-66).
• CofC won the rebounding battle, 39-35, and brought down the second-most rebounds this season versus USC Upstate.

POSTGAME QUOTES
College of Charleston Head Coach Earl Grant
On the game …
"I thought it was good for us to go out and have a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. We really shared the ball and didn't turn it over much. That was a big positive for us. It also was beautiful to see two of our big kids combine for almost 30 points and 20 rebounds. That's something we have tried to emphasize – get the ball inside to Jarrell (Brantley), Nick (Harris) and Chevez (Goodwin) – how much that will help our offense by throwing it into the paint. I'm really proud of our guys for bouncing back from three tough games we played in a row. We knew this stretch would be tough. I was also impressed that we held USC Upstate to 60 points after they scored 108 at UNC Charlotte."
 
College of Charleston Sophomore Forward Nick Harris
On playing against 7-foot USC Upstate big man Michael Buchanan …
"He (Michael Buchanan) is a very strong. Coach (Grant) told us during the week he was a very good player and not to take him lightly. He is one of the biggest guys I've ever played against. It was a good challenge for me and I tried to do my best against him."
 
On shooting perfect from the floor …
"Our point guards were giving me the ball in perfect position. That's why I didn't miss a shot. I was dunking a lot of them, because they were driving it and kicking it right to me right in the 'dunker spot' as we call it. I was getting my dunks off and it's all credit to them for feeding me the ball."
 
College of Charleston Redshirt Junior Guard Joe Chealey
On the team responding to USC Upstate late in the second half …
"You have to give them (USC Upstate) credit. They are a scrappy team and a resilient bunch. We didn't think the game would be easy. We knew what type of team that they were. For us, it's good to see that we responded to the adversity in the midst of the game and held on for the win."