Cougars Host Drexel On CofC Homecoming Weekend

Saturday, February 10

TD Arena

4:00 PM

College of Charleston

Drexel

Buy Tickets

2/9/2018 4:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Drexel Game Notes

COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON (19-6, 10-3 CAA) vs. DREXEL (11-15, 5-8 CAA)
Game #26
February 10, 2018 • 4:00 p.m. (ET)
TD Arena/John Kresse Court (5,100)
at Charleston, S.C.

Television: None
Radio: College of Charleston Radio Network (ESPN Radio 910 AM)
Series History: CofC Leads 7-5
Last Meeting: Drexel def. CofC, 87-82 (OT), on Jan. 5, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pa.
Internet: Free Live Statistics at www.CofCStats.com
Live Video: Free Live Video at http://portal.stretchinternet.com/charleston/
Tickets: www.CofCSports.com/tickets
Twitter: @CofCBasketball

THE COACHES
College of Charleston: Earl Grant
Fourth Year at CofC: 70-54
Fourth Year Overall: 70-54
Drexel: Zach Spiker
Second Year at Drexel: 20-38
Ninth Year Overall: 122-150

TELEVISION (None)

RADIO (College of Charleston Radio Network)
Play-By-Play: Everett German
Color Analyst: Danny Johnson

GAME PREVIEW
The College of Charleston men's basketball team (19-6, 10-3 CAA) will look to continue its winning ways with five games remaining in regular-season action, but will have a difficult task at hand with a dangerous Drexel (11-15, 5-8 CAA) squad coming to town on CofC Homecoming Weekend. Tipoff between the Cougars and Dragons is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 10 at 4 p.m. (ET) at TD Arena. Drexel has beaten the current No. 1 (CofC), No. 2 (Northeastern) and No. 3 (William & Mary) to shake up the conference standings. The Cougars will look to avenge an 87-82 overtime loss to the Dragons in both teams' first meeting in Philadelphia back in early January. Charleston has won seven in a row and 14-straight at TD Arena including an 82-77 win over William & Mary on Feb. 8 to maintain sole possession of first place. Sophomore guard Grant Riller poured in a game-and career-high 37 points versus the Tribe. He has scored 24-or-more points on three occasions in the Cougars' current stretch. With each big conference win after another, CofC continues to climb the NCAA RPI Rankings (No. 68) – the highest-rated team in the Colonial. The Cougars currently rank No. 51 nationally in scoring defense holding opponents to 66.8 points a game and 70.3 points a game in conference games only.

A LOOK AT DREXEL
Drexel has won four of its last five by three points or less including a 94-92 overtime loss at home versus Towson on Feb. 8. The Dragons rank No. 86 in the nation in blocks per game (4.2 avg.), which is third most in the league behind Towson and William & Mary. They are led by junior guard Tramaine Isabell, who is tied for second in the CAA averaging 20.0 points per game, and by the second-best field-goal shooter in senior forward Austin Williams (59.0%), who leads the league and ranks No. 9 in the country in blocks per game (2.96 avg.).

GAME PROMOTIONS
It's College of Charleston Homecoming Weekend as the campus welcomes back alumni, friends and family. There will be a pregame CofC student tailgate in The Cistern Yard and the CofC Homecoming Court winners will be announced at halftime. Tickets are still available to the game for purchase by calling (843) 953-COFC or online at: www.CofCSports.com/tickets

COUGARS CLOSING IN ON 20-WIN CAMPAIGN
The Cougars are one win away from turning in back-to-back 20-win campaigns under fourth-year head coach Earl Grant. College of Charleston has recorded 20-win seasons on 17 all-time occasions since joining the NCAA Division I ranks in 1991-92. CofC is also one of only 29 schools in the country to have already reached 10 wins in conference play this season.

COFC NCAA DIVISION I ALL-TIME 20-WIN SEASONS
1993-94: 24-4 (NCAA First Round)
1994-95: 23-6 (NIT First Round)
1995-96: 25-4 (NIT Second Round)
1996-97: 29-3 (NCAA Second Round)
1997-98: 24-6 (NCAA First Round)
1998-99: 28-3 (NCAA First Round)
1999-00: 24-6
2000-01: 22-7
2001-02: 21-9
2002-03: 25-8 (NIT Second Round)
2003-04: 20-9
2006-07: 22-11
2008-09: 27-9 (CBI Quarterfinals)
2009-10: 22-12 (CBI Quarterfinals)
2010-11: 26-11 (NIT Quarterfinals)
2012-13: 24-11 (CBI First Round)
2016-17: 25-10 (NIT First Round)

COACHES POWERING FORWARD
This year, coaches from around the country will be raising money for autism through Coaches Powering Forward for Autism benefiting Autism Speaks. College of Charleston Head Coach Earl Grant and his coaching staff will also be wearing the blue puzzle piece pin on their suit jackets during the games this weekend. This is part of college basketball's autism awareness weekend, an effort started by Towson head men's basketball coach Pat Skerry and USF assistant men's basketball coach Tom Herrion. Both previously coached at CofC. It has since gone national with support from the NABC and Autism Speaks. For more information, please visit: www.autismspeaks.org

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 TD Arena alongside color analyst Danny Johnson on the College of Charleston Radio Network.

PROJECTED COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON STARTERS
#13 Joe Chealey, G, 6-4, 190, Sr. (18.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 3.4 apg, 35.4 min)
#1 Grant Riller, G, 6-3, 195, So. (16.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.1 apg, 32.5 min)
#12 Cameron Johnson, G, 6-4, 200, Sr. (8.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.8 apg, 32.8 min)
#5 Jarrell Brantley, F, 6-7, 250, Jr. (16.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.7 apg, 30.5 min)
#23 Nick Harris, F, 6-10, 260, Jr. (6.1 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 0.4 apg, 26.5 min)

PROJECTED DREXEL STARTERS
#1 Kurk Lee, G, 5-9, 150, So. (13.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.4 apg, 36.7 min)
#2 Tramaine Isabell, G, 6-1, 180, Jr. (20.0 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 3.4 apg, 33.9 min)
#15 Sammy Mojica, G, 6-3, 195, Sr. (11.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.5 apg, 36.0 min)
#5 Austin Williams, F, 6-8, 245, Sr. (9.7 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 0.7 apg, 30.1 min)
#30 Alihan Demir, F, 6-9, 223, So. (11.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.0 apg, 32.5 min)

HOME SWEET HOME
College of Charleston is one of only 19 remaining NCAA Division I schools that remains unbeaten at home this season. The Cougars have defeated Siena (OT), Western Carolina, High Point, North Greenville, South Carolina State, Towson, Delaware, Northeastern, UNCW, Hofstra, JMU and William & Mary for a 12-0 mark in the friendly confines of TD Arena. Historically, CofC's home-court winning percentage is .837 and The College picked up its 100th all-time win at TD Arena (formerly known as Carolina First Arena which opened in 2008) in a 73-62 win over Towson in the CAA opener.

SERIES HISTORY
College of Charleston leads 7-5 in the all-time series with Drexel. Last year, the Cougars swept the regular-season series for the first time since becoming members of the Colonial. They have won the last three out of four meetings with the Dragons including the last two matchups at TD Arena.

LAST 10 GAMES IN THE SERIES
L, 82-87 OT (-5) on Jan. 5, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pa.
W, 80-67 (+13) on Feb. 25, 2017 in Charleston, S.C.
W, 90-76 (+14) on Jan. 28, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pa.
W, 60-38 (+22) on Feb. 6, 2016 in Charleston, S.C.
L, 54-61 (-7) on Jan. 9, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pa.
W, 56-48 (+8) on March 6, 2015 in Baltimore, Md.^
L, 45-59 (-14) on Feb. 7, 2015 in Charleston, S.C.
L, 51-53 (-2) on Jan. 24, 2015 in Philadelphia, Pa.
L, 45-56 (-11) on Feb. 26, 2014 in Philadelphia, Pa.
W, 47-46 (+1) on Feb. 13, 2014 in Charleston, S.C.
^ CAA Tournament

WILLIAM & MARY RECAP
College of Charleston 82, William & Mary 77
• For the 13th-straight game in conference play, the College of Charleston started Joe Chealey, Grant Riller, Cameron Johnson, Jarrell Brantley and Nick Harris.
• With the win, College of Charleston is now 4-1 when playing William & Mary on its home court in the 10-game all-time series between the two schools. The Tribe, however, still lead 6-4 overall in the all-time series.
• Grant Riller scored a career-and game-high 37 points including 28 in the first half versus William & Mary. It marked the second most points in a half this season for Riller, who had 21 second-half points versus South Carolina State on Dec. 19. His 37 points were also the third-most by a CofC player in the program's NCAA Division I history behind former great Andrew Goudelock (39 in 2011) and Dontaye Draper (38 in 2007). The school record for most points in a single game (NAIA and NCAA) is held by Sam Meade (45 in 1971).
• Jarrell Brantley turned in 19 points against William & Mary, which marked his 11th double-figure scoring game of the season. He has now tabulated 1,106 career points to date which ranks 32nd all-time.
• Joe Chealey registered 12 points versus William & Mary and has now scored in double figures in 24-of-25 games this season. He has recorded 1,679 career points to date.
• Cameron Johnson recorded 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field against William & Mary. He has now scored in double figures in three of the last four games for the Cougars.
• The Cougars made a season-high nine steals versus William & Mary.
• The CofC defense held William & Mary to its third-lowest scoring output of the season in conference play (77). The Tribe came into the game averaging 85.3 points per game, which ranked No. 10 in the nation. The Cougars also held W&M to just 33.3 percent from beyond the arc (7-of-21).

COUGAR SOUND BITES
"At the end of the day, we talk about trying to play the game the right way. If you got a shot you like, take it. Our guys have a lot of freedom out there. If you got a shot you like, take it, but don't be selfish. Play together and share the responsibility." – CofC Head Coach Earl Grant on Grant Riller's career-high 37-point performance versus William & Mary including 28 in the first half

"To be quite honest, we haven't talked about what place we are in, what kind of game it is or looked at the standings. We've just talked about getting better and being the best we can be come March. It's not March yet, but we have made progress over the last two weeks." – Coach Grant on how well the team has responded in three-straight first-place games against Northeastern, Hofstra and William & Mary

"This team that we have right here is growing and learning with each game and each practice we have. It is big to get these wins, because we are playing really good teams and finding ways to get through them in tough games." – Junior Forward Jarrell Brantley on how the team has responded the last three games against the top teams in the CAA

"I would say our best basketball is still ahead of us. We want to be playing our best basketball in March. I know a lot of us say that. We are doing a really good job right now. We are making pushes, we are growing and we are trusting each other which is a big part of our offense and our defense." – Brantley on the team's seven-game win streak