CHARLESTON, S.C. – Grant Riller recorded his first career double-double with a game-high 23 points and 10 rebounds to lead College of Charleston to a 26-point home victory over NCAA Division II Coker, 76-50, on Sunday at TD Arena.
 
It was the first home game for the Cougars (5-4) since playing Oklahoma State nearly a month ago on Nov. 13.
 
Charleston shot only 36.7 percent from the field in the first half as the Cobras (2-4) kept it close with just a five-point deficit at halftime, 37-32.
 
The Cougars played their entire bench and held Coker defensively to only 18 second-half points.
 
Jaylen McManus and Osinachi Smart also joined Riller in double figures with 11 and 10 points respectively. Smart had a near double-double with nine rebounds.
 
For the Cobras, they were led in scoring by Noel Pinnock with 13 points, while AJ McQuaige had nine rebounds and six blocks.
 
The Cougars will travel later this week to Richmond (8-1) for their final non-conference road game of the season on Saturday, Dec. 14 at 5 p.m. (ET) in Richmond, Va. The game will be televised nationally on NBC Sports Network.
 
POSTGAME NOTES
• For the ninth-straight game, College of Charleston started Zep Jasper, Grant Riller, Brevin Galloway, Jaylen McManus and Osinachi Smart (5-4).
• With the win, College of Charleston improves to 11-0 in the all-time series with Coker. It was the team's eighth win of the series at home.
• Grant Riller recorded his first career double-double with a game-high 23 points and career-high 10 rebounds against Coker. He shot 7-of-11 from the field and a perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line. It was also only the fourth time of his career to lead the team in rebounding in a single game. Riller has now tabulated 1,983 career points to date and third all-time on the career scoring list.
• Jaylen McManus turned in his fifth game this season in double figures with 11 points versus Coker.
• Osinachi Smart registered a near double-double performance with a career-high 10 points and season-high nine rebounds in 32 minutes of action versus Coker.
• Zach Rabinowitz, a senior walk-on and former team manager, made his first career appearance and knocked down four points including his first career 3-pointer and going 1-for-2 from the free throw line against the Cobras.
• Trevon Reddish came off the bench and led the team in assists with a career-high four against Coker.
• The CofC defense held Coker to 18 second-half points – the lowest scoring production by an opponent this season in a half this season.
• The 26-point margin of victory was the largest of the season for the Cougars ahead of a 19-point win over USC Upstate in the team's season opener on Nov. 5.
 
POSTGAME QUOTES
College of Charleston Head Coach Earl Grant
On the game …
"Give Coker credit. They were very competitive and did a good job of blocking shots at the rim. We were up five at halftime, but I thought in the first half we had maybe 10-12 points at the rim that got blocked. We made some adjustments in the second half and our guys did a better job of finishing. Our bench really helped us with some energy. We had an unbelievable second half and played more like who we are. Everything about our program starts with defense. They had 18 points in the second half and we held them to 21.9 percent from the field. We have to build on that. We played to our standards and only turned it over two times in the second half. We had nine assists and shared the rock. We are still in the process of trying to figure out how to play closer to 40 minutes of great basketball. We have been playing 25-to-26, but the game is 40. I was happy we were able to find a way to win the game."
 
College of Charleston Senior Guard Grant Riller
On the team's first home game since early November …
"We haven't played in about five-or-six days. Every time around this time of year, this game is usually tough. We schedule an opponent that competes in all of their games whether its D-II or Division I. We looked more like ourselves in the second half and were on our feet. Luckily, we got a W."
 
On Osinachi Smart's presence in the paint.
"It's extremely important to our team. Osi is capable of giving us this every night. He gives it his all in practice. Once again, he is another great teammate. He does everything we ask of him, even when he is not getting the ball every time down low. He is always going to set you a hard screen and is still going to play harder. I'm glad he had the night he had tonight and I'm looking forward to him building on it."
 
College of Charleston Junior Forward/Center Osinachi Smart
On his confidence …
"I think my confidence is from working every day. In practice and getting in the gym with our coaches, getting shots up, watching film and building on it. I probably gained my confidence against Providence. Losing the first game of the tournament (against Wake Forest), we knew we had to play hard. The Providence game really got me going."