Cougars Look To Get Back On Track During Final Homestand Week at TD Arena

Thursday, February 27

TD Arena

6:00 PM

College of Charleston

Delaware

Tickets

Cougars Look To Get Back On Track During Final Homestand Week at TD Arena

2/26/2020 9:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Delaware Game Notes

COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON (15-13, 9-7 CAA) vs. DELAWARE (20-9, 10-6 CAA)
Game #29
February 27, 2020 • 6:00 p.m. (ET)
TD Arena/John Kresse Court (5,100)
at Charleston, S.C.

Television: CBS Sports Network
Radio: College of Charleston Radio Network (ESPN Radio 910 AM | 94.7 FM)
Series History: CofC Leads 11-5
Last Meeting: CofC def. Delaware, 75-63, on Dec. 30, 2019 in Newark, Del.
Internet: Live Statistics at www.CofCStats.com
Live On-Demand Video: www.CBSSports.com/Live
Tickets: www.CofCSports.com/tickets
Twitter: @CofCBasketball

THE COACHES
College of Charleston: Earl Grant
Sixth Year at CofC: 116-78
Sixth Year Overall: 116-78
Delaware: Martin Ingelsby
Fourth Year at Delaware: 64-64
Fourth Year Overall: 64-64

TELEVISION (CBS Sports Network)
Play-By-Play: Scott Graham
Color Analyst: Donny Marshall

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

GAME PROMOTIONS
It's Cougar Club Night at TD Arena and all fans will receive a free rally towel for the nationally-televised game on CBS Sports Network. For more information or to join The Cougar Club, please visit: www.CofCCougarClub.com. At halftime, Chucktown Sound's drumline will perform. Tickets are still available for purchase by calling (843) 953-COFC or online at: www.CofCSports.com/tickets

GAME PREVIEW
The College of Charleston men's basketball team (15-13, 9-7 CAA) looks to get back on track during its final homestand this week at TD Arena. The Cougars will take on Delaware (20-9, 10-6 CAA) in a nationally-televised game on CBS Sports Network on Thursday, Feb. 27 at 6 p.m. (ET). The Blue Hens and Cougars have already clinched a first-round bye in next week's Hercules Tires Colonial Athletic Association Men's Basketball Championship in Washington, D.C. However, the No. 3 through No. 6 seeds are still up for grabs dependent on the outcome of the last regular-season games of the season. A win by CofC would give the Cougars the regular-season series sweep of UD having won both teams' first meeting during the opening week of conference play (W, 75-63) on Dec. 30 in Newark, Del. They would finish no lower than fourth. Charleston is one win away from its fourth-straight 10-win season under head coach Earl Grant and will close out the weekend with Drexel (13-16, 6-10 CAA) on Senior Day set for Saturday, Feb. 29 at 4 p.m. (ET) at TD Arena.

A QUICK LOOK AT DELAWARE
The Blue Hens have won eight of their last 10 games and are one of the hottest teams in the league. They are led by junior sharp shooter Nate Darling, who is averaging a team-best 21.5 points per game and knocked down 96 three-pointers (fifth most among NCAA Division I leaders in the category) this season. UD is one of three CAA teams to have already turned in a 20-win campaign. However, the Blue Hens are 4-3 on the road this year in league play.

CAA TOURNAMENT SCENARIOS
Teams for the No. 1-5 seeds are set with Hofstra, William & Mary, Delaware, Towson and Charleston. Hofstra and W&M have secured the No. 1 and No. 2 tournament seeds. Northeastern needs one more win to clinch a Top 6 seed (one win or Elon loss). Elon must win at W&M and have two Northeastern losses to earn a Top 6 seed. Drexel, UNCW and James Madison will be among the No. 7-10 seeds (order TBD).

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

PROJECTED COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON STARTERS
#10 Zep Jasper, G, 6-1, 175, So. (7.4 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 1.7 apg, 30.0 min)
#1 Grant Riller, G, 6-3, 190, Sr. (21.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 3.9 apg, 33.5 min)
#2 Brevin Galloway, G, 6-2, 215, Jr. (11.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.9 apg, 29.9 min)
#24 Jaylen McManus, F, 6-7, 230, Sr. (8.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 0.5 apg, 26.7 min)
#20 Sam Miller, F, 6-9, 240, Sr. (8.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.1 apg, 23.2 min)

PROJECTED DELAWARE STARTERS
#0 Ryan Allen, G, 6-2, 200, Jr. (12.2 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 2.3 apg, 33.6 min)
#1 Kevin Anderson, G, 6-5, 190, Jr. (11.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.7 apg, 34.5 min)
#3 Nate Darling, G, 6-5, 200, RS-Jr. (21.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.9 apg, 38.1 min)
#2 Dylan Painter, F, 6-10, 225, RS-Jr. (9.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 0.9 apg, 20.2 min)
#25 Justyn Mutts, F, 6-7, 220, RS-So. (11.9 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 2.0 apg, 31.4 min)

INSIDE THE SERIES
College of Charleston holds a six-game advantage in the all-time series with Delaware, 11-5. The Cougars currently own an eight-game win streak in the series having swept the regular-season series with the Blue Hens the last three years.

LAST 10 GAMES IN THE SERIES
W, 75-63 (+12) on Dec. 30, 2019 in Newark, Del.
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.
^ CAA Tournament

HOME SWEET HOME
Last year, CofC led the CAA in home attendance averaging 4,202 fans per game and continues to do so this season averaging 4,200 fans per game. Against Elon on Feb. 8, the Cougars had a sell-out crowd of 5,108 fans - the 10th all-time largest crowd in TD Arena history (venue opened in 2008).

CAA CHAMPIONSHIP AHEAD
The 2020 Hercules Tires CAA Men's Basketball Championship will make its debut in Washington, D.C., on March 7-10, at the Entertainment and Sports Arena. The new state-of-the-art facility is home to the WNBA champion Washington Mystics and also serves as the official practice facility for the Washington Wizards. For additional information on the CAA Men's Basketball Championship, visit www.CAASports.com.

UNCW RECAP
UNCW 68, College of Charleston 55
• For the second-straight game, College of Charleston used the starting lineup of Zep Jasper, Grant Riller, Brevin Galloway, Jaylen McManus and Sam Miller (10-7).
• UNCW evened the all-time series with College of Charleston to 15-15. The Seahawks swept the regular-season series and picked up their first win at home in the series since 2016.
• Grant Riller registered a game-high 19 points going 9-of-12 from the free throw line at UNCW. He moved into fourth all-time in career scoring in Colonial Athletic Association history surpassing Hofstra's Justin Wright-Foreman (2,387) and Richmond's John Newman (2,383) on the list with 2,399 career points to date.
• For the 11th time this season, Osinachi Smart came off the bench and led the team in rebounding with nine boards including three on the offensive glass at UNCW. He also made a career-high tying two steals.
• The Cougars scored 40 of their 55 points in the paint – the second-most this season in a single game behind 42 of their 71 points at Richmond on Dec. 14, 2019.

COUGAR SOUND BITES
"We've had a tough patch. We have been so fortunate in the past, where we haven't had a lot of rough patches. It's new for us. We are trying to navigate through it. The most important thing, at this moment right now, is for us to have good spirit. We have two games at home and three seniors, who will never play on this court again for a regular-season game. Our focus is our game plan and preparation. As far as X's and O's, we are trying to simplify and put more clarity into what we do as we come down the stretch. We want to go into March playing our best basketball."– CofC Head Coach Earl Grant on the Cougars getting back on the right track

"They (Delaware) have been playing good basketball. They lost two out of their last three, but they had a stretch where they won seven in a row. Coach (Martin) Ingelsby is doing a great job with their team. They have some big guys underneath the basket, who are very capable, and guys who can shoot the ball. Certainly, it will be a challenge." – Grant on Delaware

"Obviously, whether you are home or away, it's hard. We've had unbelievable crowds this season at home. We need to play with a lot of energy, which is important for us. I'd rather be here at home for two games heading into D.C., instead of being on the road trying to find a way to win. Our seniors deserve great effort from all of us to help them finish the way they want to finish." – Grant on finishing out the regular season at home

"We are all trying to keep good spirit. We know there is only one way to get to March Madness out of this league – and it's to win the league. We are trying to finish strong and head into the (CAA) tournament playing well." – Senior Guard Grant Riller on finishing the regular season strong

"Spirits are still high. We are a really great group of friends first. I haven't been on a team where we are as good of friends as we are as this team. We know what we need to do to win. It's all about having a good day of practice to get ready for the game tomorrow." – Senior Forward Sam Miller on getting back on track