The sixth seeded Cougars upset the third seeded Eagles after finishing a disappointing 9-11 in conference play this season. Regardless, Charleston is two victories away from an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament.

The Cougars played with poise early on by utilizing an offense predicated upon ball control and finding the player in position to take the best shot every possession. This strategy helped Charleston build a 44-26 lead at the half, which eventually ballooned to a 63-36 lead with 13:12. Georgia Southern never managed to overcome this deficit.

The Eagles took a pivotal timeout with 13:14 to go in the contest to instigate a rally. They came out energized with a full-court pressure defense that helped created turnovers, and eventually made it into an 11 point game at 77-66.
The comeback would fall short, however, after a Cougars timeout squelched the Eagles’ momentum. Charleston maintained a double digit lead for the remainder of the contest.

Charleston shot 60 percent from the field as a team, including a blistering 10 for 18 from beyond the arc. Georgia Southern did not enjoy the same success from long distance, shooting just 6 for 23.

Tony White, Jr. led the way for the Cougars, scoring 19 points on just seven field goal attempts. Jermaine Johnson added 18 points, hitting all five of his shots from the field.

Louis Graham contributed a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds for Georgia Southern. Matt Fields was one of three other players for the Eagles in double figures, scoring 18 points.

The sixth seeded College of Charleston will go on to play the seventh seeded Elon Phoenix in a game featuring two surprise semi-finalists Sunday night.

T. Jarrel McLeod