NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. – Grant Riller registered 13 points to lead College of Charleston to its fourth-straight win in a 59-45 defeat of NCAA Division II Anderson University (S.C.) on Sunday afternoon at the North Charleston Coliseum.
 
It marked Riller's fourth double-figure scoring game of the season. The Cougars (7-3) hosted the regular-season game with the Trojans (4-6) in preparation of the 2017 Colonial Athletics Association Men's Basketball Championship to be held in March in the same venue.
 
Jarrell Brantley added nine points for Charleston, while Evan Bailey made a career-best 7-of-10 free throws leading to a season-high seven points. He also grabbed a career-and game-high nine rebounds in the winning cause.
 
The Cougars shot 16-of-27 from the free throw line (59.3 percent), while Anderson attempted just nine.
 
Marquise Pointer had a steal and fast-break layup to give Charleston a 24-23 lead after Anderson claimed its only lead in the ballgame. A three-pointer by Cameron Johnson sent the Cougars to the locker room with a 27-23 halftime lead.
 
Riller scored six of CofC's first nine points of the second half as the Cougars went on a 9-2 run for an 11-point lead. They also led by double digits for the final 15 minutes of regulation.
 
Anderson's leading scorer Randall Shaw, who came into the game averaging 20.3 points, was held to 14 points. The Trojans (4-6) scored an opponent season-low 45 points for the ballgame and shot 20 percent from three-point range (4-of-20) against the CofC defense.
 
The Cougars will embark on a tough five-game road swing that begins at East Carolina on Thursday, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. (ET) in Greenville, N.C. The game will be televised live on ASN and ESPN3.
 
POSTGAME NOTES

• The Cougars are now 34-10 all-time (.773) when playing games at the North Charleston Coliseum since 1993. It was the team's first game in the venue since 2010.
• College of Charleston is now tied in the all-time series with Anderson, 1-1, and it marked only the second meeting between both schools since the first in 2012.
• Grant Riller registered a team-high 13 points, which marked his fourth double-figure scoring game of the season.
• Jarrell Brantley recorded a stat line of nine points, five rebounds and a career-high tying four assists including two dishes for three-pointers made by Grant Riller and Marquise Pointer.
• Evan Bailey turned in a season-high seven points and a career-high nine rebound versus Anderson. It marked the third time in his career to lead the Cougars in the rebounding column. He also went a career-best 7-of-10 from the free throw line.
• The CofC defense held Anderson to an opponent season-low 45 points and 20 percent shooting from beyond the arc (4-of-20). The Cougars previously held an opponent to 40 points against Boise State (47 points) in the first round of the ESPN Gildan Charleston Classic on Nov. 17.

POSTGAME QUOTES
College of Charleston Head Coach Earl Grant
On the game …
"Our guys did a great job of coming out and making it really hard for Anderson on the defensive side of the ball holding them to 45 points and 23 points at the half. Offensively, we didn't have our flow today. Things weren't going our way in terms of shot making. Our defense, however, did a great job of traveling with us from Downtown Charleston. I'm proud of the guys that they were able to respond against a pesky team like Anderson and found a way to win."
 
On playing at the North Charleston Coliseum …
"It was great to be in this building. It's a great facility. The CAA Tournament will be here in March. It helps us to get experience. That was one of the main reasons why we wanted to play this game. It took us a while to get adjusted. In the second half, we started making some perimeter shots. We also got to the free throw line and made some shots. It was a great opportunity for us (to get acclimated to the coliseum). We played really hard on defense and did some good things on offense. If we had made some shots, you would be looking at the game from a different stand point."
 
College of Charleston Sophomore Guard Marquise Pointer
On playing the game at the North Charleston Coliseum …
"It was a little different. We had some adjustments to make and got a feel for the rim. It wasn't too big of a deal for us. We adjusted and it was fine."
 
On the team's four-game win streak and team chemistry …
"Our team chemistry is continually improving and we have everyone healthy. The chemistry is really there on-and-off the court – why we have been successful."
 
College of Charleston Redshirt Freshman Guard Grant Riller
On his easy layups in the game …
"It's always easier when we can get out in transition. That's what has helped me this season (to get to the basket). When we can do that, that's when I feel I play my best basketball."
 
On playing a game in the North Charleston Coliseum …
"It's big time for us to have this experience. That's a one-up that we have on any other team in the CAA. It will prepare us in the long run (in March)."