COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON (7-6, 1-0 CAA) vs. DELAWARE (11-3, 1-0 CAA)
Game #14
December 30, 2019 • 7:00 p.m. (ET)
Bob Carpenter Center (5,000)
at Newark, Del.
 
Television: FloSports
Radio: College of Charleston Radio Network (ESPN Radio 910 AM | 94.7 FM)
Series History: CofC Leads 10-5
Last Meeting: CofC def. Delaware, 83-75, on Feb. 7, 2019 in Newark, Del.
Internet: Live Statistics at www.BlueHenStats.com
Live On-Demand Video: FloSports Subscription at http://bit.ly/2JP6sGV
Twitter: @CofCBasketball
 
THE COACHES
College of Charleston: Earl Grant
Sixth Year at CofC: 108-71
Sixth Year Overall: 108-71
Delaware: Martin Ingelsby
Fourth Year at Delaware: 55-58
Fourth Year Overall: 55-58
 
TELEVISION (FloSports)
Play-By-Play: Scott Klatzkin
Color Analyst: Bill Harman
 
RADIO (College of Charleston Radio Network)
Play-By-Play: Everett German
 
GAME PREVIEW
The College of Charleston men's basketball team (7-6, 1-0 CAA) carries a two-game win streak into a key early conference matchup at Delaware (11-3, 1-0 CAA) on Monday, Dec. 30 at 7 p.m. (ET) in Newark, Del. The Cougars opened Colonial Athletic Association play with a 76-65 road victory at Drexel on Dec. 28 – firing on all cylinders from the field (53.7%) and beyond the arc (55.0%). They also made a season-best 16 assists and defensively held the Dragons to scoring in the 60s. This is the first time since opening the season against USC Upstate and Georgia State that CofC has won back-to-back games. Meanwhile, Delaware enters the ballgame with the best overall record in the league. The Blue Hens are also an undefeated 5-0 at home at the Bob Carpenter Center including a CAA-opening win over UNCW (82-68). They currently sit atop of the conference standings having won their first nine-consecutive games of the season earning them a No. 17 ranking in the latest CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Poll. In its last outing, Charleston had four players score in double figures including a game-high 22 points from preseason CAA Player of the Year Grant Riller. The Cougars are looking to close out the decade and year on a high note.
 
SCOUTING DELAWARE
Delaware's roster has been bolstered this year by four Division I transfers in Dylan Painter (Villanova), leading scorer Nate Darling (UAB), Justyn Mutts (High Point) and Collin Goss (George Washington). Darling is averaging 21.4 points per game which is second only to Jordan Roland of Northeastern (21.8 ppg). He is also one of the nation's top 3-point shooters (10th, 3.5 avg.). The Blue Hens received votes earlier this month in The Associated Top 25 Poll and battled No. 20-ranked Villanova (L, 70-78) down-to-the-wire on Dec. 14.
 
LAST GAME OF THE DECADE
From the Cougars' first game of the decade versus South Carolina State (W, 88-73) on Jan. 2, 2010 at TD Arena (formerly known as Carolina First Arena) to their last at Delaware on Monday, College of Charleston has had one of its best decades of basketball in the program's NCAA Division I history with an NIT Quarterfinals appearance in 2011 and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2018. Two players were also drafted in all-time leading scorer Andrew Goudelock (46th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2011) and Jarrell Brantley (50th overall by the Indiana Pacers traded to the Utah Jazz in 2019). Additionally, two of the program's six all-time wins over Top 25-ranked opponents happened in the last decade (No. 9 North Carolina in 2010 and No. 21 Baylor in 2012) where CofC has compiled a 207-129 (.616) overall record.
 
COUGARS ON THE AIRWAVES
Fans can listen to all CofC men's basketball games throughout the 2019-20 season on ESPN Radio 910 AM and 94.7 FM in Charleston or via a live audio link at: www.charlestonsportsradio.com. Voice of the Cougars Everett German will call the action live from the Bob Carpenter Center on the College of Charleston Radio Network.
 
PROJECTED COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON STARTERS
#10 Zep Jasper, G, 6-1, 175, So. (7.2 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 1.5 apg, 28.2 min)
#1 Grant Riller, G, 6-3, 190, Sr. (21.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.8 apg, 32.5 min)
#2 Brevin Galloway, G, 6-2, 215, Jr. (10.8 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 1.4 apg, 28.1 min)
#24 Jaylen McManus, F, 6-7, 230, Sr. (9.0 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 0.4 apg, 26.9 min)
#20 Sam Miller, F, 6-9, 240, Sr. (7.4 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.3 apg, 23.1 min)
 
PROJECTED DELAWARE STARTERS
#0 Ryan Allen, G, 6-2, 200, Jr. (13.8 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 2.0 apg, 32.8 min)
#1 Kevin Anderson, G, 6-5, 190, Jr. (10.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 4.1 apg, 33.2 min)
#3 Nate Darling, G, 6-5, 200, RS-Jr. (21.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.1 apg, 38.4 min)
#25 Justyn Mutts, F, 6-7, 220, RS-So. (14.2 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 1.9 apg, 30.9 min)
#33 Collin Goss, F, 6-11, 230, RS-Sr. (7.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.1 apg, 25.4 min)
 
SERIES HISTORY
College of Charleston holds a five-game advantage in the all-time series with Delaware, 10-5. The Cougars currently own a seven-game win streak in the series having swept the regular-season series with the Blue Hens the last three years. However, CofC has only won three times ever on the road at the Bob Carpenter Center (2017, 2018 and 2019) since becoming members of the league in 2013-14.
 
LAST 10 GAMES IN THE SERIES
W, 83-75 (+8) on Feb. 7, 2019 in Newark, Del.
W, 71-58 (+13) on Jan. 12, 2019 at Charleston, S.C.
W, 62-54 (+8) on Jan. 25, 2018 at Newark, Del.
W, 93-78 (+15) on Jan. 2, 2018 at Charleston, S.C.
W, 78-65 (+13) on Feb. 23, 2017 at Charleston, S.C.
W, 65-56 (+9) on Jan. 2, 2017 at Newark, Del.
W, 67-63 (+4) on March 4, 2016 at Baltimore, Md.^
L, 59-62 (-3) on Feb. 18, 2016 at Newark, Del.
W, 59-58 (+1) on Jan. 23, 2016 at Charleston, S.C.
L, 68-71 (-3) on Jan. 31, 2015 at Newark, Del.
^ CAA Tournament
 
DREXEL RECAP
College of Charleston 76, Drexel 65
• For the third time this season and third-straight game, College of Charleston went with the starting five of Zep Jasper, Grant Riller, Brevin Galloway, Jaylen McManus and Sam Miller (2-1).
• With the win, College of Charleston improves to 12-6 in the all-time series with Drexel. It was the first regular-season game over the last two years to not be decided in single-digits with the Dragons. The Cougars also claimed only their third-ever win on the road at the DAC since becoming a CAA member school in 2013-14.
• The Cougars are now 6-1 all-time in CAA openers and 5-1 in the Earl Grant Era.
• Grant Riller recorded a game-high 22 points at Drexel. It marked his ninth 20-point game of the season and 41st of his career. He extended his double-digit scoring streak to 41-straight games and has now tabulated 2,070 career points to date. Riller also led the team in the rebounding column (7) for the second time this season and fifth time of his career.
• Brevin Galloway has now scored in double figures in three of the team's last four games with 16 points on 4-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc at Drexel. It marked his eighth game this season in double figures and 21st of his career.
• Sam Miller notched 10 of his 13 points in the first half of play in just his third career start at Drexel. It was also the 11th double-figure scoring game of his career.
• Zep Jasper turned in his fourth game in double figures this season with 12 points at Drexel. He also dished out a career-high six assists versus the Dragons.
• As a team, the Cougars made 16 assists in the ballgame which marked a season best in the category. The previous season high was 14 versus South Carolina State on Dec. 21 and at UCF on Nov. 23.
• CofC also shot a season-high 53.7 percent (29-of-54) from the field and season-high 55.0 percent (11-of-20) from long range.
• Drexel was the second-straight opponent the Cougar defense held in the 60s.
 
COUGAR SOUND BITES
"Our preparation started this past summer. We know these teams and watched them throughout the year. They (Delaware) are playing good basketball right now. Certainly, we are going to have to play well to be successful. They have a good mix of inside guys and guys who can shoot it. It's the next game up and we have 18 of them. We have to come up with the best game plan and compete at a high level." – CofC Head Coach Earl Grant on conference play and prepping next for Delaware
 
"That's the point guard we recruited. He played very poised against Drexel and how I expected him to play. To come out and have 12 points and six assists is unbelievable for him to start conference play. If he can do that consistently, that's a different level of player for us. He usually defends for us, so we can depend on that. When he can distribute like that and find his teammates as well as contribute points, that's a high-level point guard." – Coach Grant on sophomore point guard Zep Jasper
 
"I wanted to play a lot of guys (against Drexel). In the conference, you play a lot of games back-to-back. It is going to be very important that we play our bench. I think our bench is our strength. We have some numbers there and I thought the guys did what they needed to do." – Grant on playing a bigger rotation of guys this season
 
"He's a good player. We always talk about playing to your strengths. One of his strengths is shooting and passing the ball. He showed that against Drexel and we need for him to continue to do that. He is a guy who can really impact our team, and hopefully, we can build on it as we go through this 18-game race." Grant on senior forward Sam Miller