COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON (18-6, 9-2 CAA) vs. ELON (15-9, 7-4 CAA)
Game #25
February 4, 2017 • 5:00 p.m. (ET)
TD Arena/John Kresse Court (5,100)
at Charleston, S.C.
 
Television: MyTV Charleston
Radio: College of Charleston Radio Network (ESPN Radio 910 AM)
Series History: CofC Leads 17-6                                                                                                          
Last Meeting: CofC def. Elon, 66-54, on Dec. 31, 2016 in Elon, N.C.
Internet: Free Live Statistics at www.CofCStats.com
Live Video: Free Live Video at http://portal.stretchinternet.com/charleston/
Twitter: @CofCBasketball
 
THE COACHES
College of Charleston: Earl Grant
Third Year at CofC: 44-44
Third Year Overall: 44-44
Elon: Matt Matheny
Eighth Year at Elon: 123-125
Eighth Year Overall: 123-125
 
TELEVISION (MyTV Charleston)
Play-By-Play: Warren Peper
Color Analyst: John Kresse
 
RADIO (College of Charleston Radio Network)
Play-By-Play: Everett German
Color Analyst: Danny Johnson
 
GAME PREVIEW
It's been a little over a month since College of Charleston and Elon last met in both teams' Colonial Athletic Association opener on New Year's Eve. With seven games remaining in the regular season and the conference race heating up, the Cougars (18-6, 9-2 CAA) have positioned themselves into a first-place tie after back-to-back road wins, while the Phoenix (15-9, 7-4 CAA) are tied for third having won seven out of their last eight in CAA play. Both teams will reunite for Part II of the yearly series between the two former Southern Conference foes on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 5 p.m. (ET) at TD Arena. The game will be a part of CofC Homecoming festivities on campus and televised live locally on MyTV Charleston. CofC is coming off a 67-66 road thriller at preseason league favorite and defending champion UNCW on Feb. 2, while Elon won its fifth straight with a 67-61 victory over James Madison. Not too shabby for programs which joined the Colonial in 2013 and 2014 and sit atop of the league standings. Third-year head coach Earl Grant has his team running on all cylinders offensively and defensively as the Cougars have scored 76.8 points per game over their last four contests and rank No. 3 in the nation in three-point field-goal percentage defense (27.9%). Three Charleston players are averaging double figures in the scoring column including CAA Rookie of the Week Grant Riller, who has been on fire averaging a team-leading 23.5 points per contest in the team's current four-game stretch versus JMU, Towson, Drexel and UNCW. He knocked down a game-high 22 points including 15 in the first half in the road upset at UNCW. CofC is one of only 55 NCAA Division I programs currently with six losses or less on the season.
 
ELON AT-A-GLANCE
Elon is led by back-to-back reigning CAA Player of the Week Tyler Seibring, a sophomore forward who is averaging a team-leading 14.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. The Phoenix have held opponents to a league-best 41.1 percent shooting from the field this season which ranks in the Top 100 nationally. They are also known for their shooting from long range averaging 9.5 three-pointers per game with a 35.7 percent accuracy (228-of-639). Elon has had quite the turnaround in conference play after dropping its first three against CofC, UNCW and William & Mary.
 
COUGARS OFF TO BEST START SINCE 2008-09
The Cougars are off to their best start since going 18-6 in their first 24 games of the season back in 2008-09. That same squad under former head coach Bobby Cremins would compile a 27-9 overall record and earn a CBI postseason tournament berth. CofC is two wins away from its first 20-win campaign since the 2012-13 season (24-11).
 
COUGARS ON THE AIRWAVES
Fans can listen to all CofC men's basketball games throughout the 2016-17 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 TD Arena with color analyst Danny Johnson on the College of Charleston Radio Network.
 
PROJECTED COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON STARTERS
#13 Joe Chealey, G, 6-4, 195, RS-Jr. (16.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 3.1 apg, 33.3 min)
#1 Grant Riller, G, 6-3, 185, RS-Fr. (13.1 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 1.0 apg, 25.3 min)
#12 Cameron Johnson, G, 6-4, 200, Jr. (6.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.8 apg, 31.9 min)
#5 Jarrell Brantley, F, 6-7, 250, So. (13.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 1.1 apg, 31.4 min)
#23 Nick Harris, F, 6-10, 250, So. (5.7 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 0.2 apg, 23.7 min)
 
PROJECTED ELON STARTERS
#13 Dainan Swoope, G, 6-0, 190, So. (11.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.8 apg, 30.6 min)
#22 Steven Santa Ana, G, 6-4, 190, So. (12.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.2 apg, 29.4 min)
#2 Dmitri Thompson, G, 6-4, 205, Jr. (8.2 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.3 apg, 24.4 min)
#00 Brian Dawkins, F, 6-8, 240, RS-Jr. (12.2 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 0.9 apg, 24.9 min)
#41 Tyler Seibring, F, 6-8, 225, So. (14.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 2.0 apg, 31.7 min)
 
SERIES HISTORY
College of Charleston leads 17-6 in the all-time series with Elon. The Cougars hold the edge having won nine of the last 11 meetings between both schools extending back to the Southern Conference rivalry years which included two face-offs in postseason-tournament play held in Asheville in 2013 and Chattanooga in 2011.
 
LAST 10 GAMES IN THE SERIES
W, 66-54, at Elon, N.C. on 12/31/16 (+12)
W, 66-62, at Elon, N.C. on 2/13/16 (+4)
L, 64-65 at Charleston, S.C. on 1/16/16 (-1)
W, 77-63 at Charleston, S.C. on 2/18/15 (+14)
W, 66-50 at Elon, N.C. on 1/14/15 (+16)
W, 68-60 at Asheville, N.C.^ on 3/11/13 (+8)
W, 56-54 at Elon, N.C. on 12/1/12 (+2)
L, 98-99 (2OT) at Elon, N.C. on 2/2/12 (-1)
W, 63-44 at Charleston, S.C. on 1/14/12 (+19)
W, 78-60 at Chattanooga, Tenn.^ on 3/5/11 (+18)
^ SoCon Tournament
 
CHEALEY NEARING MILESTONE
Redshirt junior guard Joe Chealey is 19 points away from joining the 1,000 Career Point Club having tabulated 981 points to date. He would become the 34th all-time player in school history to reach that milestone. Chealey is also 25 assists shy of his second 100+ assist season as the Cougars' floor general (75).
 
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON ALL-TIME CAREER SCORING LIST
1. Andrew Goudelock (2007-11) – 2,571
2. Ken Gustafson (1971-75) – 2,135
3. Greg Mack (1981-85) – 1,901
4. Sam Meade (1970-74) – 1,812
5. Thaddeous Delaney (1994-97) – 1,564
6. Dontaye Draper (2003-07) – 1,541
7. Jeff Bolton (1999-02) – 1,527
8. Marion Busby (1992-95) – 1,504
9. Tony White, Jr. (2007-10) – 1,499
10. Steven Johnson (1984-88) – 1,456
11. Tom Holst (1961-65) – 1,433
12. Ron Theis (1972-76) – 1,414
13. Donavan Monroe (2007-11) – 1,382
14. Ahdonus Cofer (1988-92) – 1,330
15. Pat Harrington (1977-81) – 1,307
16. Antwaine Wiggins (2007-12) – 1,306
17. Tony Mitchell (2001-05) – 1,280
18. Jermaine Johnson (2006-09) – 1,276
19. Jody Lumpkin (1998-01) – 1,269
20. Sedric Webber (1996-99) – 1,267
21. Stacy Harris (1994-97) – 1,257
22. John Drafts (1974-78) – 1,241
23. Andrew Lawrence (2009-13) – 1,219
24. Thomas Mobley (2000-04) – 1,218
25. Mike Beckett (1988-92) – 1,204
26. Jermel President (1996-99) – 1,175
27. Wes Champion (1985-88) – 1,171
28. Willis Hall (2009-14) – 1,152
29. Muzon Cheeks (1974-78) – 1,111
30. Troy Wheless (2000-03) – 1,108
31. Anthony Stitt (2011-15) – 1,091
32. Adjehi Baru (2011-15) – 1,090
33. Rick Carpenter (1969-71) – 1,029
 
UNCW RECAP
College of Charleston 67, UNCW 66
• With the win, College of Charleston claimed its first-ever road win at Wilmington since joining the Colonial Athletic Association in 2013. It ended an eight-game win streak in the series by UNCW, but the Seahawks still lead 12-11 in the all-time series. The Cougars last won on the road in Wilmington in 2005 (W, 81-77) as members of the Southern Conference – its only previous road win in the series in six tries.
• For the fourth-straight contest, Grant Riller led the Cougars in scoring with a game-high 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the floor and 4-of-5 from the free throw line. It marked his sixth career game having scored 20+ points in a single game this season. Over the last three games in league play, he has totaled 77 points. Riller is on a career-best eight-game double-digit scoring streak.
• Nick Harris tied his season-and career-high with 16 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the floor with a season-best four dunks at UNCW. It marked his second double-figure scoring game of the season.
• Joe Chealey reached double figures for the sixth-consecutive game with 15 points and went a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line at UNCW. He has made 18 of his last 18 attempts from the charity stripe over the last two contests.
• Jarrell Brantley brought down a game-high tying nine rebounds and scored the game-winning layup in the final seconds of regulation.
• The Cougar defense held the Seahawks to 4-of-19 shooting from beyond the arc (21.1%) and the league's No. 1 scoring offense (86.0) to their second-lowest scoring output of the season (66 points). It marked only UNCW's fourth loss of the season next to Middle Tennessee State, Clemson and William & Mary.
 
COUGAR SOUND BITES
"They (Elon) have been playing great. They have won seven out of eight. They started off with a really hard conference schedule playing us, Wilmington and William & Mary in a row. They're playing good ball right now. It's not the same team that we saw when we played them on December 31. We will have to be prepared and play well on Saturday." – College of Charleston Head Coach Earl Grant on the second go-around with Elon
 
"I knew we would have to defend well to win a game on the road like that. We did a good job of getting stops down the stretch and holding them to 66 points. We settled down and made some plays against their press. It was a game the rest of the way. I knew there could be a storm with the crowd that they had, but we weathered it. It was nip and tuck, back-and-forth in the middle of the game and in the middle of the second half. God just blessed us and we had peace all throughout the day. It was a total team effort. – Coach Grant on not getting behind after UNCW made a run in the opening minutes of the last ballgame
 
"We challenged him. We told him we need you to score down there and put some pressure on their big guy. He went out in the second half and really made an impact. We threw the ball to him a good bit. They were doubling off on Jarrell (Brantley) and sending two people at him. We wanted to take that tension off of Jarrell and put pressure on Nick's man. Nick just delivered. He is a big kid and has really developed. He has worked hard for moments like this and he came through for us at UNCW." – Coach Grant on the play of Nick Harris in the road win at UNCW