Resurgent Offense Not Enough as Cougs Fall to Delaware

Final Score: Delaware 89, College of Charleston 86

Top Performers:

Jarvis Threatt 13 pts (11-13 FT), 13 assts, 6 rebs

Canyon Barry 27 pts (5-7 3pt)

Disclaimer - I was unable to watch this game because of a combination of CAA TV's shoddy product and my own inconsistent internet. So I was forced to glean what I could from tweets and box scores. 

Positives: 

• The offense came back to life as the Cougars hit 13 of 26 three ball attempts and actually got to the line 22 times (hitting 17). The 13 three pointers was one shy of the season total set in the last home game against William & Mary.
• Canyon Barry reminded us that the future is bright for Rick Barry's youngest son. He put up a season-high 27 points coming off the bench and shot over 50% from the field, behind the arc and from the charity stripe.  Canyon's biggest issues right now are his ball handling and shooting percentages; if those continue to improve he'll become a hell of a player. 
• The Cougars held a narrow edge on the boards, 37-35
• David Wishon was able to give good minutes off the bench for a second straight game with Baru slightly hobbled by his knee issues. The Ginja Ninja had 6 points and 5 rebounds in just 15 minutes of play.
• The opening 3-pointer by Judson Hall is what senior night is all about. Last year, seldom used Bart Benton was made a starter and he responded with a basket that caused the crowd to erupt. The set play to get Judson a wide open three is a nice tip of the cap by Wojcik and the younger Hall responded by draining it to everyone's delight. I really like keeping up that tradition.

Negatives:

• As the offense took a step forward, the defense took a step back. Wojcik cannot be happy with his guys giving up 89 points - even if it Delaware is the league's best offense.
• Jarvis Threatt, who was suspended the first time these teams met, gave the Blue Hen offense a whole new look. He got to the line at will and had 13 assists on the afternoon. The CAA is a guard-oriented league and Threatt played like an all-league point guard yesterday against CofC's defense. 

Despite the Cougar's efforts, Delaware played like the superior team they are down the stretch. Don't forget, the top seed and automatic NIT bid were not guaranteed unless they beat CofC. Fortunately for the Cougs they only fell to the 6th seed and will face William & Mary (the team they blew out of the water three games ago) in the first round of the CAA Tournament in Baltimore. From there it's an uphill battle that will likely include another rematch with Delaware if the Cougars can advance. Look for full CAA Tournament previews this week.