Sunday, December 19
Washington, D.C.
2 PM
College of Charleston
vs
Rhode Island
Cougars Face Rhode Island in Nation's Capital on Sunday Afternoon
12/18/2021 6:16:00 PM | Men's Basketball
2 p.m. tip-off in D.C.
CHARLESTON, S.C. - CofC Basketball looks to bounce back in a big way on Sunday as the Cougars gear up to face a talented Rhode Island squad in Washington, D.C. The neutral site clash between Charleston and the Rams is part of the Events DC Holiday Hoops Fest and tips off at 2 p.m. ET. The game is not being aired on television but is available to listen to here.
STORYLINES
UP NEXT
STORYLINES
- CofC plays its first neutral site game of the season with the Sunday's DC Events Holiday Hoops Fest. CofC is 2-3 away from Charleston thus far.
- The Cougars are 1-3 all-time vs. Rhode Island, having won the most recent meeting in the series. CofC downed the Rams, 66-55, on Nov. 13, 2018 in Charleston.
- CofC is very familiar with Entertainment & Sports Arena, having competed in the building during the Colonial Athletic Association conference tournaments. Junior Brenden Tucker and senior Osinachi Smart have both played in multiple games in the facility.
- The Cougars dropped the first leg of the current road trip, struggling to make shots at Stetson on Thursday. Despite the loss, a trio of freshmen stepped up with Reyne Smith, Ben Burnham and Raekwon Horton accounting for more than half of CofC's 59 points (30). Unlike most teams across the country, freshmen are playing a vital role for Charleston this season. The Cougars have won the CAA Rookie of the Week award five consecutive times in all five weeks of the season. Reyne Smith has won four and most recently, Ben Burnham claimed the first of his career.
- With another solid performance on Sunday, Horton is in line to get in on the action and win Rookie of the Week after a career-high 14-point, nine-rebound, three-steal outing at Stetson.
- Head coach Pat Kelsey has never faced Rhode Island in his career. Over his last 36 games as a head coach, Kelsey is 30-6.
- Despite the absence of three frontcourt starters last Sunday vs. Presbyterian and the absence of star forward John Meeks on Thursday at Stetson, CofC snagged 18 offensive rebounds and 16 offensive rebounds, respectively over those two games. The Cougars rank eighth nationally in offensive rebounding with 14.8 per game. The Cougars' 42.0 rebounds per game also leads the CAA. Seven Cougars are snatching 3.0+ rebounds per contest.
- Junior Brenden Tucker is one of just two returners who stayed at CofC despite the coaching change. Tucker has been a huge boost offensively for the Cougs, reaching double figures in three straight games and in eight of 11 games this season. He is coming off a season-best 23-point performance vs. Presbyterian and 11 points at Stetson. After a 3-of-4 effort from three vs. the Blue Hose, he is now shooting 47.7 percent from beyond the arc, which ranks third in the CAA.
UP NEXT
- Charleston continues a 3-game swing away from the Holy City when the Cougars travel to Old Dominion on Wednesday, Dec. 22.
- Tip-off on ESPN+ is set for 7 p.m. ET in Norfolk, Va.
Players Mentioned
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