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| No Simmons did not lose weight and get a haircut. That really is Wiggins playing defense in the post. |
Top Performers: Andrew Goudelock 25 pts, 6 assts
Noah Dahlman 22 pts, 9 rebs
Honorable mention: Wiggins 13 pts, 6 rebs, 3 assts
Nothing like a good ol' fashioned bounceback win to reinforce a fan's faith in the Cougars. This is exactly the type of win I wanted from CofC going into last night's game. We played the most inspired half of basketball I have seen this season and routed the defending champs by 25. Here are my observations from the game.
First off, the crowd last night really was the 6th man. I showed up to the CFA at about 5 minutes to 6:00 and was relegated to get in line behind a couple hundred white-clad students. By the time they opened the Student Entrance at 6pm, the line was stretching down George Street. A little after 6:10 there came word that the student section was over capacity. Every fan got the White-Out memo and most students made it their own (looking at you, labcoat-wearing nerds).
This excitement may have gotten to the Cougars in the first half. We jumped out to a typical first 5 minutes lead behind some Goudelock and Simmons shots. By the time the crowd settled down, Wofford (I mean, Noah Dahlman) started playing their game. I hope it was just nerves from the game atmosphere, but the Cougars could not hold onto the ball. We would have had 3 steals/easy buckets if we could just pick the ball up off the ground. It was extremely frustrating. Couple that with the fact that we couldn't tip a defensive rebound to ourselves and it made for unhappy times in the sea of white.
Dahlman was killing us in the first half. Like I mentioned, he does all his damage under the basket. There were only two ways he got 15 points and like 5 boards in the first half. They were:
1) Wofford guard gets screen on the perimeter, gets by defender and drives to hoop. Sensing disaster, Charleston big rotates off Dahlman to stop would-be layup. Wofford guard dishes to Dahlman who releases his shot four inches from the basket.
2) Drew Goudelock-wannabe Terrier guard launches ill-advised jumper with hand in his face. Shot predictably bounces of rim. By this time Dahlman has already boxed out Simmons/Hall. Noah tips ball into net.
It was literally that simple in the first half. Thankfully for the Cougars, someone in the locker room made this realization as well.
The second half was a different game, a different team and a different defensive strategy. Dahlman was shoved outside the paint by Wiedeman or Simmons when the Terriers were on offense. When he was fed the ball he needed to get him self to the basket (it's true, he really seems incapable of making a jump shot). Right when he started to move his feet, the swarming double team came. Monroe would start clawing at the ball. Wiedeman and Hall created an iron curtain between Noah and the basket. The Terriers star was visibly frustrated and was forced to either put up a contested shot or kick it back out to a guard. Even this was made difficult by the defensive pressure put on him. He turned the ball over 3 times in the 2nd half.
On offense, Antwaine Wiggins was the story of the night. This year he's been pretty one dimensional. He's real good at shutting an opposing guard down and he'll give you a couple 3's per night. If he were in the NBA he'd be the patented "3 and D" player. He's the Shane Battier/Ron Artest of the Cougars (minus the craziness). But last night he played the small forward position more like Carmelo Anthony or Kevin Durant. He was driving to the basket and pulling up for jumpers. He actively rebounded by using his length to his advantage. It was so rewarding to see this because we've known for so long that he had the physical tools to be aggressive.
I think at the beginning of the year Wiggins was playing cautiously because of the knee injury he sustained. That's probably why he hung out on the perimeter on both sides of the court. Well, that knee looked healthy last night. If 'Twaine can keep up the good work on defense AND give us another dimension on offense, this team will be even more dangerous.
Next up is Furple. It will be the Cougar's Homecoming game and I hope there is a similar atmosphere. Beat the Paladins and the regular season championship is within smelling distance.
I think at the beginning of the year Wiggins was playing cautiously because of the knee injury he sustained. That's probably why he hung out on the perimeter on both sides of the court. Well, that knee looked healthy last night. If 'Twaine can keep up the good work on defense AND give us another dimension on offense, this team will be even more dangerous.
Next up is Furple. It will be the Cougar's Homecoming game and I hope there is a similar atmosphere. Beat the Paladins and the regular season championship is within smelling distance.
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