HONOLULU, HI – Deywilk Tavarez dropped a season-high thirty points to help lead Charleston to a 77-68 win over Loyola Chicago at the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Cougars took an early 7-4 lead at the first media timeout, paced by Derrin Boyd with three points, one steal, and an assist in the opening four minutes.
• Charleston held Loyola Chicago 0-4 from the field before falling cold themselves, going 1-7. The Ramblers outrebounded the Cougars 16-5 during the stretch to maintain a three-point lead at 19-16 with eight minutes remaining in the first half.
• Charleston fell behind by as much as eight before Tavarez broke a three-minute Cougar scoring drought on a corner three and sank two free throws to bring Charleston back within four at 25-21.
• After falling behind by ten, Charleston went 5-5 from the field behind four straight Tavarez threes including one at the buzzer to put the Cougars up 37-34 entering the half. The sophomore surpassed his previous Charleston high with 20 points in the frame.
• Tavarez opened the second half with back-to-back threes, his six and seventh of the game. The Ramblers went on a 6-0 run to tie it at 42-42 before Charleston held Loyola Chicago scoreless from the field for over four minutes. Djordje Curcic and Boyd provided big offense down the stretch, including a 8-0 run capped off by a Boyd three.
• Charleston took their largest lead of the game thus far at 67-59 with five minutes to play. Another 6-0 Cougar run and four Loyola Chicago turnovers in the final three minutes sealed the win for Charleston.

DJOLEEEE ????????????

Cougs up 55-52 after the Curcic three with nine minutes to play. pic.twitter.com/RVtwgPsvOR

— Charleston Basketball (@CofCBasketball) December 24, 2024

KEY COUGARS

• Tavarez had a season-high 30 points, just one shy of his career high. He was 7-16 from three-point range to go with three rebounds and two assists.
• Boyd (16) and Ante Brzovic (14) joined Tavarez in double-figures.
• Brzovic also grabbed a team-high six rebounds and dished out a game-high five assists.

FIRE US UP 5 ?????? pic.twitter.com/xjubjJN3eG

— Charleston Basketball (@CofCBasketball) December 23, 2024

GAME NOTES

• Charleston made 11 threes, the fourth time this season the Cougars have made 10+.
• The Cougars outshot the Ramblers from the field 46% to 41%.
• Charleston's 14 steals are the most in a single game since December 22, 2014 vs. LSU. CJ Fulton had a team-high four.
• Chris Mack's program is 2-1 against the Atlantic 10 conference this season.

UP NEXT

• The Cougars, now 9-3, will play the winner of Murray State and Charlotte on Christmas Day at 3:30 p.m. est.