Cougars Drop Heartbreaker in CAA Semifinals

Monday, March 10

Washington, D.C.

8:30 PM

College of Charleston

24-9,13-5CAA

No. 2 UNCW

26-7,14-4CAA

Col. of Charleston

UNCW

3/11/2025 12:39:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

WASHINGTON, DC – The No.3 College of Charleston men's basketball fell 68-67 to No. 2 UNCW in the 2025 Jersey Mike's CAA Men's Basketball Championship on Monday night in DC. Charleston finishes the 2024-25 campaign with an overall record of 24-9 for the program's third straight 20+ win season. The Cougars have recorded a 20-win season in 32 of the last 50 years.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Cougars were hot from three early, with Derrin Boyd, CJ Fulton, and Ante Brzovic all draining shots from deep.
The teams traded points until UNCW took a 32-27 lead, their largest lead of the game with four minutes remaining in the half. The Seahawks ended the frame on a 13-2 run before Fulton sank his third triple of the half to send the Cougars into the locker room down 40-30. Charleston made seven threes in the first half with five Cougars making at least one.
Brzovic started the second half with a tip-in make, followed by back-to-back threes from Boyd and Tavarez to cut the UNCW lead to five at 45-40 with sixteen minutes to play.
After Brzovic sank Charleston's tenth three of the night with 15 remaining, the Cougars fell cold going 0-10 from the field during a seven-minute stretch. A Boyd driving layup ended the drought and cut the deficit to four at 52-48.
Charleston continued to light it up from deep as Tavarez tied the game on a make before Boyd added another to give the lead back to Charleston at 55-52 with six minutes to play.
The teams then again traded points through the final minutes of play. Charleston led 64-61 with two minutes to play but could not hold on for the win.

KEY COUGARS

Boyd led Charleston with 18 points and eight rebounds.
Fulton contributed 12 points, four rebounds and five assists.
Lazar Djokovic grabbed a game high 11 rebounds.
Brzovic and Deywilk Tavarez each added 11 points.

GAME NOTES

UNCW outshot Charleston 40% to 36%. The Cougars outrebounded the Seahawks 37-33.
The Cougars sank 14 threes, a new program record in the CAA Championship.