HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – College of Charleston's Grant Riller recorded a team-high 27 points in a 76-63 road loss to preseason Colonial Athletic Association favorite Hofstra on Thursday night at the Mack Sports Complex.
 
The Pride (19-7, 10-3 CAA) won their fifth-straight game in league play to remain in first place in the CAA race behind a game-high 28 points from Eli Pemberton. Jalen Ray (14), Desure Buie (13) and Isaac Kante (11) were also in double figures in the scoring column.
 
It was a key game for the Cougars (15-11, 9-5 CAA), who are now tied for third with William & Mary. Delaware moved into the second spot with an 81-75 victory over Elon.
 
Hofstra led the entire ballgame and outrebounded Charleston, 34-22. The Pride split the regular-season series with the Cougars after dropping a close 69-67 decision on Jan. 18 at TD Arena.
 
The Cougars will have a quick turnaround as they continue their three-game CAA road swing at Northeastern (12-13, 6-7 CAA) on Saturday, Feb. 15 at noon (ET) in Boston, Mass.
 
POSTGAME NOTES
• College of Charleston started Zep Jasper, Grant Riller, Brevin Galloway, Jaylen McManus and Osinachi Smart (5-6). It marked the 11th career start for Smart.
• College of Charleston split the regular-season series with Hofstra. The series is now tied at 7-7.
• Grant Riller led the Cougars with a team-high 27 points at Hofstra. It marked his 15th 20-point outing this season and 47th of his career. He extended his double-digit scoring streak to 54-consecutive games and has now tabulated 2,371 career points to date.
• Brevin Galloway made a career-high six of the team's 11 steals against the Pride.
• Brenden Tucker came off the bench and poured in a career-high nine points on a perfect 4-for-4 shooting from the field including one made 3-pointer at Hofstra. He also brought down two rebounds in just 16 minutes of action.
 
POSTGAME QUOTES
College of Charleston Head Coach Earl Grant
On the loss …
"I thought that early in the game we had too many miscues. We turned it over and fed their (Hofstra) offense by giving them some transition baskets. That was our No. 1 key – to keep them out of transition. This team is too good to come on their home court and turn it over. We did just that for the first five-to-six minutes. It took us a while to really find a way to start competing at the level we needed to compete at, to win a game like this."
 
On missed opportunities to finish out plays inside …
"Again, it was missed opportunities. We had a lot balls right around the rim with guys, who had an opportunity to finish. We gotta finish them. In a game like this, you have to make those plays. There's no other way you can put it. You can't turn it over the way we did. You have to make plays in the paint. I thought early that Sam (Miller) and Osi (Smart) gave us a great lift. With threw it inside. They delivered and got us some baskets. We have to be better to win a game."