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| Even Wojcik couldn't believe last nights hot shooting |
Top Performers:
Willis Hall 18 pts (4-8 3pt), 11 rebs, 2 assts
Zeke Upshaw 14 pts (5-14 FG), 1 reb
Maybe it was a measure of revenge for the loss to Hofstra in Hempstead. Maybe it was the Homecoming atmosphere or the need to get back on the court and perform well after the disappointing 0-2 Virginia road trip. Whatever it was, the Cougars looked like they were venting some pent up frustration at TD Arena last night in holding the Pride to just 49 points and 27% shooting (both opponent season lows) and firing three pointers at a 50% clip (12 for 24). It all amounted to a huge one-sided victory for the Cougars on Homecoming night - just when dropping to sub .500 in the CAA seemed to painting things most dark.
You wouldn't have known the Cougars were in store for a 20+ point lead in the second half after the start they had. Hofstra came out of the gates on a 7-0 run, forcing some geriatric Cougar fans to painfully stay on their feet until nearly the first media timeout when the home team finally scored. Two things to watch in this game would be the rebounding and personal foul numbers. Hofstra is one of the few CAA teams, actually one of few teams nationally, who you can reasonably expect to beat CofC on the boards. They did it the last time these two teams met. And we all know about the free throw disparity last time. The Cougars got the jump on the battle of the boards early and would go on to out-rebound their opponent handsomely, 51-38.
Even though Adjehi was on his way to fouling out against Hofstra once again (he finished the night with 6 points and 6 assists in 19 minutes), the dreadful free throw shooting of the Pride never gave them a boost to get back into the game once CofC started pulling away. Hofstra shot less than 50% from the line (13-27) and seemed to miss at the most inopportune times.
With the rebounding and free throw numbers back in favor of the Cougars, their ability to widen the gap with three point shooting and defense was readily apparent at home. Anthony Thomas, who didn't do much offensively, deserves credit for holding Zeke Upshaw to an inefficient game and collecting nine rebounds. Willis, Anthony Stitt and Nori all finished on the "hot" side of the daily "CofC Hot or Not Three-Point Shooting Poll" - all of them finishing with 4 treys.
It's true that if you live by the three, you die by the three (CofC fans who attended SoCon Tournaments from '07 to '11 nod accordingly), but the shots taken last night were within the flow of the offense. Wojcik and company mentioned post game that after creating a more detailed scouting report on Hofstra the second time around they found themselves stepping into a number of easy three-point shots.
Willis: "We have been working on a couple of plays, where we’re moving in-and-out through the lane, giving each other those angles to drive and then dish out for just step-in jumpers. When you make it easy for guys like me, Anthony (Stitt) and Nori (Johnson), who just have to step-in and shoot the three, it’s a lot easier to make. Today, I would say our ball movement helped us be more consistent from the three-point line rather than begging for the ball to go in.”
No one knows better than Charleston fans that as easy as the shooting gods can giveth, they can taketh away. But the fact that the Cougars were shooting threes as a second or third option and not as a last resort after failing to make progress getting the ball inside is a good sign. Rebounding was there, shots were falling, Sedric Webber is in the CofC Hall of Fame and the students/fans got an entertaining and much needed victory: good night for the Cougars.
*Oh and Canyon Barry is back after a month nursing a broken finger to provide some outside shooting and drives to the basket!
Even though Adjehi was on his way to fouling out against Hofstra once again (he finished the night with 6 points and 6 assists in 19 minutes), the dreadful free throw shooting of the Pride never gave them a boost to get back into the game once CofC started pulling away. Hofstra shot less than 50% from the line (13-27) and seemed to miss at the most inopportune times.
With the rebounding and free throw numbers back in favor of the Cougars, their ability to widen the gap with three point shooting and defense was readily apparent at home. Anthony Thomas, who didn't do much offensively, deserves credit for holding Zeke Upshaw to an inefficient game and collecting nine rebounds. Willis, Anthony Stitt and Nori all finished on the "hot" side of the daily "CofC Hot or Not Three-Point Shooting Poll" - all of them finishing with 4 treys.
It's true that if you live by the three, you die by the three (CofC fans who attended SoCon Tournaments from '07 to '11 nod accordingly), but the shots taken last night were within the flow of the offense. Wojcik and company mentioned post game that after creating a more detailed scouting report on Hofstra the second time around they found themselves stepping into a number of easy three-point shots.
Willis: "We have been working on a couple of plays, where we’re moving in-and-out through the lane, giving each other those angles to drive and then dish out for just step-in jumpers. When you make it easy for guys like me, Anthony (Stitt) and Nori (Johnson), who just have to step-in and shoot the three, it’s a lot easier to make. Today, I would say our ball movement helped us be more consistent from the three-point line rather than begging for the ball to go in.”
No one knows better than Charleston fans that as easy as the shooting gods can giveth, they can taketh away. But the fact that the Cougars were shooting threes as a second or third option and not as a last resort after failing to make progress getting the ball inside is a good sign. Rebounding was there, shots were falling, Sedric Webber is in the CofC Hall of Fame and the students/fans got an entertaining and much needed victory: good night for the Cougars.
*Oh and Canyon Barry is back after a month nursing a broken finger to provide some outside shooting and drives to the basket!
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