Thursday, November 23
Anchorage, Alaska
9:30 PM
College of Charleston
vs
Sam Houston State
First-Time Meeting For Cougars and Sam Houston State In Consolation Semifinals
11/23/2017 4:50:00 PM | Men's Basketball
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON (2-2, 0-0 CAA) vs. SAM HOUSTON STATE (2-2, 0-0 Southland)
Game #5
GCI Great Alaska Shootout
Consolation Semifinals
November 23, 2017 • 5:30 p.m. (AST) / 9:30 p.m. (EST)
Alaska Airlines Center (5,000)
at Anchorage, Alaska
Television: None
Radio: College of Charleston Radio Network (ESPN Radio 910 AM)
Series History: First Meeting
Last Meeting: None
Internet: Free Live Statistics at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/uaa/
Live Video: Live Video via FloHoops at http://bit.ly/2ljDvtL
Tickets: www.GoSeawolves.com
Twitter: @CofCBasketball
THE COACHES
College of Charleston: Earl Grant
Fourth Year at CofC: 53-50
Fourth Year Overall: 53-50
Sam Houston State: Jason Hooten
Eighth Year at SHSU: 139-100
Eighth Year Overall: 139-100
TELEVISION (None)
RADIO (College of Charleston Radio Network)
Play-By-Play: Everett German
GAME PREVIEW
The College of Charleston men's basketball team (2-2) will face Sam Houston State (2-2) in a first-time meeting between the two schools in the consolation semifinals of the 2017 GCI Great Alaska Shootout on Thursday, Nov. 23 at 5:30 p.m. (AST) / 9:30 p.m. (EST) at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage, Alaska. The Cougars look to shake off a 73-68 setback versus Cal Poly, while the Bearkats hope to rebound from a 71-60 loss to Central Michigan in the opening round. Preseason Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year Joe Chealey has turned in back-to-back 20-point games for the Cougars and currently ranks No. 30 nationally in scoring averaging 22.3 points per game. He recorded a double-double with a game-high 26 points and career-best 10 assists against Cal Poly. CofC has never faced a school hailing from the Southland Conference since becoming a NCAA Division I member in 1991-92, but will do so in a Thanksgiving Day showdown between two top defensive ballclubs.
THE BOOK ON SAM HOUSTON STATE
Sam Houston State currently ranks No. 26 in the nation in scoring defense (60.3 ppg) and No. 27 in field-goal percentage defense (35.8%). The Bearkats are led in both scoring and rebounding by senior forward Chris Galbreath Jr., who is averaging 14.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Leading into the trip to Alaska, they played a non-bracketed tournament game at Idaho (L, 54-63) on Nov. 18.
GCI GREAT ALASKA SHOOTOUT SCHEDULE
Wednesday, Nov. 22 – First Round
Game 1 – Cal Poly vs. College of Charleston at Noon (AST)
Game 2 – Central Michigan vs. Sam Houston State at 2:30 p.m. (AST)
Game 3 – Idaho vs. Santa Clara at 5:30 p.m. (AST)
Game 4 – CSU Bakersfield vs. Alaska Anchorage at 8:00 p.m. (AST)
Thursday, Nov. 23 – Consolation Semifinals
Game 5 – CofC vs. Sam Houston State at 5:30 p.m. (AST)
Game 6 – Santa Clara vs. Alaska Anchorage at 8:00 p.m. (AST)
Friday, Nov. 24 – Semifinals
Game 7 – Cal Poly vs. Central Michigan at 5:30 p.m. (AST)
Game 8 – Idaho vs. CSU Bakersfield at 8:00 p.m. (AST)
Saturday, Nov. 25
Game 9 – Game 5 loser vs. Game 6 loser (7th/8th place) at Noon (AST)
Game 10 – Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner (4th/6th place) at 2:30 p.m. (AST)
Game 11 – Game 7 loser vs. Game 8 loser (3rd/5th place) at 5:30 p.m. (AST)
Game 12 – Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner (Championship) at 8:00 p.m. (AST)
COUGARS ON THE AIRWAVES
Fans can listen to all CofC men's basketball games throughout the 2017-18 season on ESPN Radio 910 AM in Charleston or via a live audio link at: www.charlestonsportsradio.com. Voice of the Cougars Everett German will call the action live from Alaska Airlines Center on the College of Charleston Radio Network.
LIVE VIDEO AVAILABLE
All tournament games will be televised live locally throughout the state of Alaska on GCI Channel 907 (HD) and GCI Channel 1 (SD). Live video for all tournament games can be purchased at www.FloHoops.com.
PROJECTED COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON STARTERS
#13 Joe Chealey, G, 6-4, 190, Sr. (22.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.5 apg, 36.0 min)
#1 Grant Riller, G, 6-3, 195, So. (14.5 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 2.0 apg, 32.0 min)
#12 Cameron Johnson, G, 6-4, 200, Sr. (11.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.3 apg, 36.5 min)
#24 Jaylen McManus, F, 6-7, 230, So. (3.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 0.5 apg, 19.0 min)
#23 Nick Harris, F, 6-10, 260, Jr. (4.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.0 apg, 25.8 min)
PROJECTED SAM HOUSTON STATE STARTERS
#11 John Dewey III, G, 6-0, 170, Jr. (11.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 4.8 apg, 29.3 min)
#20 Jamal Williams, G, 6-5, 200, Sr. (9.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.5 apg, 21.8 min)
#22 Marcus Harris, G, 6-0, 180, Jr. (6.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 0.8 apg, 20.3 min)
#23 Christopher Galbreath Jr., F, 6-7, 210, Sr. (14.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 0.3 apg, 27.5 min)
#13 Bubba Furlong, F/C, 6-9, 240, Fr. (2.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 0.0 apg, 8.0 min)
COUGARS ALL-TIME IN THE GREAT ALASKA SHOOTOUT
College of Charleston is 5-2 all-time in Great Alaska Shootout games. The Cougars won the championship title over Villanova (71-69) in 2002 under former head coach Tom Herrion and lost in the championship game to Kentucky (65-92) in 1996 under legendary head coach John Kresse. In 1996, Thaddeus Delaney, Stacy Harris and Anthony Johnson were named to the all-tournament team next to Ron Mercer and Derek Anderson of Kentucky, Otis Hill of Syracuse, and Brevin Knight and Tim Young of Stanford. In 2002, former Cougar great Troy Wheless was named Most Outstanding Player and Thomas Mobley and Zeke Johnson to the all-tournament team.
ALL-TIME TOURNAMENT RESULTS (5-2)
CofC def. Arizona State, 77-68, on Nov. 27, 1996
CofC def. No. 21 Stanford, 82-78, on Nov. 29, 1996
No. 8 Kentucky def. CofC, 92-65, on Nov. 30, 1996
CofC def. Wyoming, 81-72, on Nov. 27, 2002
CofC def. Oklahoma State, 66-58, on Nov. 29, 2002
CofC def. Villanova, 71-69, on Nov. 30, 2002
Cal Poly def, CofC, 73-68, on Nov. 22, 2017
CAL POLY RECAP
Cal Poly 73, College of Charleston 68
• For the fourth game in a row, the College of Charleston went with the starting lineup of Grant Riller, Joe Chealey, Cameron Johnson, Jaylen McManus and Nick Harris (2-2).
• Joe Chealey recorded a near triple-double with a game-high 26 points, career-high 10 assists and six rebounds versus Cal Poly. It marked his second-straight 20-point game and only the second double-double performance of his career. He is currently on a four-game double-digit scoring streak and moved up to 17th all-time on the school's career scoring list with 1,305 career points to date. Chealey surpassed former Cougar Tony Mitchell (1,280) on the list.
• Cameron Johnson registered 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field against Cal Poly and is currently on a two-game double-digit scoring streak.
• Evan Bailey came off the bench and turned in a season-high 13 points on 3-of-4 shooting from long range.
• Marquise Pointer turned in a season-best 10 points along with three rebounds and two steals versus Cal Poly.
• It marked a first-time meeting for College of Charleston and Cal Poly. The Cougars are now 1-2 all-time versus schools hailing from the Big West Conference.
• CofC shot 42.3 percent from beyond the arc with 11 three-pointers against Cal Poly. The Cougars have now turned in back-to-back games with 10-or-more threes with 10 at Charlotte on Nov. 18.
• Nick Harris led all rebounders with seven boards in the game and tied his season high with three blocked shots versus Cal Poly.
COUGAR SOUND BITES
"For the most part, you play 32-to-35 games a year. We are only on Game No. 5 coming up. Certainly, it's a quick turnaround for us. Mentally, we have to get ourselves prepared for another tough game. But at the end of the day, it's a long season. It's a marathon and not a sprint. The season isn't over. We have more games to play, and hopefully, we can continue to improve." – CofC Head Coach Earl Grant on the Cougars using the rest of the Great Alaska Shootout to learn and improve as a team
"Sam Houston State is a good, talented team with a good coach and good players. They will be another challenge for us, especially on the defensive end. We will prepare for another tough game on Thursday." – Coach Grant on facing Sam Houston State in the consolation semifinals
Game #5
GCI Great Alaska Shootout
Consolation Semifinals
November 23, 2017 • 5:30 p.m. (AST) / 9:30 p.m. (EST)
Alaska Airlines Center (5,000)
at Anchorage, Alaska
Television: None
Radio: College of Charleston Radio Network (ESPN Radio 910 AM)
Series History: First Meeting
Last Meeting: None
Internet: Free Live Statistics at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/uaa/
Live Video: Live Video via FloHoops at http://bit.ly/2ljDvtL
Tickets: www.GoSeawolves.com
Twitter: @CofCBasketball
THE COACHES
College of Charleston: Earl Grant
Fourth Year at CofC: 53-50
Fourth Year Overall: 53-50
Sam Houston State: Jason Hooten
Eighth Year at SHSU: 139-100
Eighth Year Overall: 139-100
TELEVISION (None)
RADIO (College of Charleston Radio Network)
Play-By-Play: Everett German
GAME PREVIEW
The College of Charleston men's basketball team (2-2) will face Sam Houston State (2-2) in a first-time meeting between the two schools in the consolation semifinals of the 2017 GCI Great Alaska Shootout on Thursday, Nov. 23 at 5:30 p.m. (AST) / 9:30 p.m. (EST) at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage, Alaska. The Cougars look to shake off a 73-68 setback versus Cal Poly, while the Bearkats hope to rebound from a 71-60 loss to Central Michigan in the opening round. Preseason Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year Joe Chealey has turned in back-to-back 20-point games for the Cougars and currently ranks No. 30 nationally in scoring averaging 22.3 points per game. He recorded a double-double with a game-high 26 points and career-best 10 assists against Cal Poly. CofC has never faced a school hailing from the Southland Conference since becoming a NCAA Division I member in 1991-92, but will do so in a Thanksgiving Day showdown between two top defensive ballclubs.
THE BOOK ON SAM HOUSTON STATE
Sam Houston State currently ranks No. 26 in the nation in scoring defense (60.3 ppg) and No. 27 in field-goal percentage defense (35.8%). The Bearkats are led in both scoring and rebounding by senior forward Chris Galbreath Jr., who is averaging 14.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Leading into the trip to Alaska, they played a non-bracketed tournament game at Idaho (L, 54-63) on Nov. 18.
GCI GREAT ALASKA SHOOTOUT SCHEDULE
Wednesday, Nov. 22 – First Round
Game 1 – Cal Poly vs. College of Charleston at Noon (AST)
Game 2 – Central Michigan vs. Sam Houston State at 2:30 p.m. (AST)
Game 3 – Idaho vs. Santa Clara at 5:30 p.m. (AST)
Game 4 – CSU Bakersfield vs. Alaska Anchorage at 8:00 p.m. (AST)
Thursday, Nov. 23 – Consolation Semifinals
Game 5 – CofC vs. Sam Houston State at 5:30 p.m. (AST)
Game 6 – Santa Clara vs. Alaska Anchorage at 8:00 p.m. (AST)
Friday, Nov. 24 – Semifinals
Game 7 – Cal Poly vs. Central Michigan at 5:30 p.m. (AST)
Game 8 – Idaho vs. CSU Bakersfield at 8:00 p.m. (AST)
Saturday, Nov. 25
Game 9 – Game 5 loser vs. Game 6 loser (7th/8th place) at Noon (AST)
Game 10 – Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner (4th/6th place) at 2:30 p.m. (AST)
Game 11 – Game 7 loser vs. Game 8 loser (3rd/5th place) at 5:30 p.m. (AST)
Game 12 – Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner (Championship) at 8:00 p.m. (AST)
COUGARS ON THE AIRWAVES
Fans can listen to all CofC men's basketball games throughout the 2017-18 season on ESPN Radio 910 AM in Charleston or via a live audio link at: www.charlestonsportsradio.com. Voice of the Cougars Everett German will call the action live from Alaska Airlines Center on the College of Charleston Radio Network.
LIVE VIDEO AVAILABLE
All tournament games will be televised live locally throughout the state of Alaska on GCI Channel 907 (HD) and GCI Channel 1 (SD). Live video for all tournament games can be purchased at www.FloHoops.com.
PROJECTED COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON STARTERS
#13 Joe Chealey, G, 6-4, 190, Sr. (22.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.5 apg, 36.0 min)
#1 Grant Riller, G, 6-3, 195, So. (14.5 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 2.0 apg, 32.0 min)
#12 Cameron Johnson, G, 6-4, 200, Sr. (11.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.3 apg, 36.5 min)
#24 Jaylen McManus, F, 6-7, 230, So. (3.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 0.5 apg, 19.0 min)
#23 Nick Harris, F, 6-10, 260, Jr. (4.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.0 apg, 25.8 min)
PROJECTED SAM HOUSTON STATE STARTERS
#11 John Dewey III, G, 6-0, 170, Jr. (11.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 4.8 apg, 29.3 min)
#20 Jamal Williams, G, 6-5, 200, Sr. (9.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.5 apg, 21.8 min)
#22 Marcus Harris, G, 6-0, 180, Jr. (6.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 0.8 apg, 20.3 min)
#23 Christopher Galbreath Jr., F, 6-7, 210, Sr. (14.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 0.3 apg, 27.5 min)
#13 Bubba Furlong, F/C, 6-9, 240, Fr. (2.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 0.0 apg, 8.0 min)
COUGARS ALL-TIME IN THE GREAT ALASKA SHOOTOUT
College of Charleston is 5-2 all-time in Great Alaska Shootout games. The Cougars won the championship title over Villanova (71-69) in 2002 under former head coach Tom Herrion and lost in the championship game to Kentucky (65-92) in 1996 under legendary head coach John Kresse. In 1996, Thaddeus Delaney, Stacy Harris and Anthony Johnson were named to the all-tournament team next to Ron Mercer and Derek Anderson of Kentucky, Otis Hill of Syracuse, and Brevin Knight and Tim Young of Stanford. In 2002, former Cougar great Troy Wheless was named Most Outstanding Player and Thomas Mobley and Zeke Johnson to the all-tournament team.
ALL-TIME TOURNAMENT RESULTS (5-2)
CofC def. Arizona State, 77-68, on Nov. 27, 1996
CofC def. No. 21 Stanford, 82-78, on Nov. 29, 1996
No. 8 Kentucky def. CofC, 92-65, on Nov. 30, 1996
CofC def. Wyoming, 81-72, on Nov. 27, 2002
CofC def. Oklahoma State, 66-58, on Nov. 29, 2002
CofC def. Villanova, 71-69, on Nov. 30, 2002
Cal Poly def, CofC, 73-68, on Nov. 22, 2017
CAL POLY RECAP
Cal Poly 73, College of Charleston 68
• For the fourth game in a row, the College of Charleston went with the starting lineup of Grant Riller, Joe Chealey, Cameron Johnson, Jaylen McManus and Nick Harris (2-2).
• Joe Chealey recorded a near triple-double with a game-high 26 points, career-high 10 assists and six rebounds versus Cal Poly. It marked his second-straight 20-point game and only the second double-double performance of his career. He is currently on a four-game double-digit scoring streak and moved up to 17th all-time on the school's career scoring list with 1,305 career points to date. Chealey surpassed former Cougar Tony Mitchell (1,280) on the list.
• Cameron Johnson registered 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field against Cal Poly and is currently on a two-game double-digit scoring streak.
• Evan Bailey came off the bench and turned in a season-high 13 points on 3-of-4 shooting from long range.
• Marquise Pointer turned in a season-best 10 points along with three rebounds and two steals versus Cal Poly.
• It marked a first-time meeting for College of Charleston and Cal Poly. The Cougars are now 1-2 all-time versus schools hailing from the Big West Conference.
• CofC shot 42.3 percent from beyond the arc with 11 three-pointers against Cal Poly. The Cougars have now turned in back-to-back games with 10-or-more threes with 10 at Charlotte on Nov. 18.
• Nick Harris led all rebounders with seven boards in the game and tied his season high with three blocked shots versus Cal Poly.
COUGAR SOUND BITES
"For the most part, you play 32-to-35 games a year. We are only on Game No. 5 coming up. Certainly, it's a quick turnaround for us. Mentally, we have to get ourselves prepared for another tough game. But at the end of the day, it's a long season. It's a marathon and not a sprint. The season isn't over. We have more games to play, and hopefully, we can continue to improve." – CofC Head Coach Earl Grant on the Cougars using the rest of the Great Alaska Shootout to learn and improve as a team
"Sam Houston State is a good, talented team with a good coach and good players. They will be another challenge for us, especially on the defensive end. We will prepare for another tough game on Thursday." – Coach Grant on facing Sam Houston State in the consolation semifinals
Players Mentioned
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