College of Charleston
14-8, 6-5
Towson
16-8, 7-4
Cougars Claim Regular-Season Sweep Of Towson
2/5/2016 4:23:00 AM | Men's Basketball
CHARLESTON, S.C. – College of Charleston's defense held Towson to its third-lowest scoring output of the season in a 65-47 rout on Thursday night at TD Arena.
The Cougars (14-8, 6-5 CAA), who lead the Colonial Athletic Association and rank No. 21 nationally in scoring defense, claimed their first-ever regular-season series sweep of the Tigers (16-8, 7-4) since joining the league in July of 2013.
It also marked their largest margin of victory in CAA play (+18) after close single-digit battles versus league foes this season.
Freshman point guard Marquise Pointer (Jonesboro, Ark.) led all scorers with a game-high 19 points, including a trio of three-pointers, while freshman Jarrell Brantley (Columbia, S.C.) turned in his second career double-double with 16 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
CofC, which shot 47.1 percent from long range (8-for-17), was in control for most of the ballgame taking a 34-25 lead into halftime. Towson broke out into a run at the start of the second half, but the Cougars were able to find their touch in a game-ending 14-0 run to hold on for their third-straight win at home.
The Tigers had their three-game win streak halted and their Top-2 leading scorers held to single digits – Arnaud William Adala Moto, a transfer from Wake Forest, to four points, and Byron Hawkins, to five points.
The Cougars will have another quick one-day turnaround as they host Drexel (3-19, 1-10 CAA) as part of CofC Homecoming festivities on Saturday, Feb. 6 at 4 p.m. (ET) at TD Arena. The game will be televised live locally on MyTV Charleston. Tickets are still available for purchase by calling (843) 953-COFC or going online at: www.CofCSports.com/tickets
For more information on College of Charleston Basketball, follow the Cougars on Twitter at @CofCBasketball.
POSTGAME NOTES
· For the ninth-straight game, College of Charleston started freshman Marquise Pointer, sophomore Cameron Johnson, junior Payton Hulsey, freshman Jarrell Brantley and redshirt freshman Nick Harris (5-4).
· With the win, the Cougars claimed their first-ever regular-season series sweep of Towson since joining the CAA in July of 2013. The Tigers had previously won the regular-season series between both schools during the 2013-14 and 2014-15 campaigns. It was CofC's first home win in the series since a 75-58 victory in its season opener on Nov. 9, 2012 at TD Arena.
· Marquise Pointer extended his double-digit scoring streak to four games with game-high 19 points versus Towson. It marked his fifth game this season to lead CofC in scoring. Pointer also had four of the team's nine steals against the Tigers.
· Jarrell Brantley recorded his second career double-double with 16 points and a game-high 11 rebounds against Towson. He also went 5-for-5 from the free throw line – the fourth time this season to go perfect from the charity stripe. Brantley has now made 11-consecutive free throw attempts in back-to-back games.
· The Cougars shot 47.1 percent from beyond the arc (8-of-17) which was their third-best percentage in a single game this season.
· Sophomore Evan Bailey came off the bench and registered 10 points and a season-high tying four rebounds versus Towson. It marked his sixth double-figure scoring game this season.
· The CofC defense held Towson to its third-lowest scoring output of the season (47 points) and the Tigers' Top-2 leading scorers (Arnaud William Adala Moto – 14.5 ppg and Byron Hawkins – 13.8 ppg) to a combined nine points. Towson also shot an opponent season-low 16.7 percent from long range (2-for-12).
· The Cougars defeated Towson by 18 points which was their largest margin of victory of the CAA season ahead of an 11-point win over Hofstra on Jan. 7. CofC previously beat the Tigers by just a three-point margin in both teams' last meeting on Jan. 21 (W, 40-37).
POSTGAME QUOTES
College of Charleston Head Coach Earl Grant
On the game …
“I'm really proud of our guys. We played a great game defensively and offensively. I thought the guys did a great job of carrying over what we worked on this week offensively and played with a lot of confidence. Defensively, I thought we were tremendous in terms of our effort and following the game plan. We have certain standards we try to live by and we talk about them everyday during practice and film sessions. The guys are working hard and playing the game the right way on the defensive side of the ball.”
On such a physical ballgame with Towson …
“We knew it was going to be physical. It's a physical league, but Towson is specifically very physical. I thought my guys did a great job fighting back and being physical on the defensive glass.”
On getting to the free throw line …
“We went to the free throw line three more times than they did, so that's a big deal for us. Towson averages about 28 free-throw attempts per game, so that was a big concern for us.”
College of Charleston Freshman Guard Marquise Pointer
On the team keeping their composure in a physical battle and what worked better offensively …
“We just tried to keep our composure and huddle up. We adjusted a few different plays and we executed them really well tonight.”
College of Charleston Freshman Forward Jarrell Brantley
On getting easier baskets in the second go-around with Towson and his double-double …
“That was a big focus for us tonight. We made sure that we got a lot of fast-break buckets and kept their defense on edge. We need to continue to make sure we get our easy points when we can. It (double-double) felt good. Tonight, I just wanted to make sure I was focused the whole time.”
