College of Charleston Wins Home Opener, 91-70

CHARLESTON, S.C. --- Senior Philip McCandies' 15 points and career-high 15 rebounds and Dontaye Draper's 28 points paced the College of Charleston to a 91-70 win over UNC Wilmington in its homer opener before 3,143 at John Kresse Arena on Sunday.

Charleston has won two in a row and stands at 3-2 on the season. UNCW is 1-3. Charleston won for the 123rd consecutive time when scoring at least 84 points.

Draper scored 22 of his team-high 28 points in the second half, including scoring 18 points during a 43-17 run during a stretch of the second half that saw the Cougars turn a fiive-point deficit into a 76-55 lead.

After McCandies’ layup put Charleston in front 42-41, Draper extended the lead with a three-point play and two 3-pointers over the next four minutes. When Draper hit his fifth three of the game and followed with two foul shots with less than six minutes left, the Cougars were up by 21 points.

McCandies recorded the fourth double-double of his career and his second this season. Sophomore Jermaine Johnson had a career-high 19 points with eight rebounds for the Cougars.

Vladimir Kuljanin led UNCW with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Todd Hendley and Temi Soyebo both scored in double figures for the Seahawks, with 15 points and 11 points each.

The Cougars return to action on Nov. 28, when they face the Kentucky Wildcats in Lexington, Ky., in a contest that will be televised on Fox Sports South.