SoCon Men’s Basketball recaps for January 17, 2008
APPALACHIAN STATE 92, CHATTANOOGA 83
BOONE, N.C. - Freshman Donald Sims scored a career-high 28 points and Appalachian State University cemented its place as a contender in the Southern Conference North Division race with a 92-83 victory over previous conference unbeaten Chattanooga on Thursday evening at the Holmes Center.
A raucous crowd of 2,574 braved the wintry conditions outside to see Appalachian (10-6, 5-2) move within a game-and-a-half of first-place Chattanooga (12-6, 7-1 SoCon) in the SoCon North Division standings. The two teams meet again in just nine days in Chattanooga.
Sims’ 28 points were the most by a Mountaineer this season and paced the Apps to a season-high in scoring for the second-straight game. Donte Minter added 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting, including nine during a 12-4 run that stretched a three-point Appalachian lead to 11 late in the game.
In addition to the 28 points, Sims dished out a game-high eight assists and a career-high seven boards to lead Appalachian. Jeremy Clayton matched a school record with eight blocked shots and Davis Bowne grabbed a season-high 10 rebounds to help lead the impressive showing. On the evening, the Apps swatted 10 Moc shots, one shy of the Holmes Center record.
Nicchaeus Doaks led Chattanooga with 22 points and 10 rebounds while Khalil Hartwell and Stephen McDowell each had 14 points.
The contest was a back-and-forth affair for much of the first half with ASU taking a 24-19 lead on a Sims’ backdoor cut via a Minter pass with 10:35 left in the opening half. However, the Mocs answered with an 8-0 run to turn the tables at 27-24 on a fastbreak layup from McDowell. Later in the stanza the Mountaineers extended their lead to 12, 46-34 with 1:22 remaining, courtesy of a 10-0 spurt fueled by five points from Sims. A McDowell three-pointer helped trim that deficit to 46-38 heading into the locker room.
The Mountaineers opened the second half gunning with and stretched the lead to 15 at 64-49 with 13:35 remaining on back-to-back three-pointers from Sims and Ryann Abraham. Undeterred, the Mocs went on a 17-5 run over the next 5:48 to cut the deficit to three. However, the decisive Minter-led 12-4 run ended the UTC threat and sealed ASU’s fifth-straight triumph.
The Apps will remain at home and go for their sixth-straight win on Saturday when Georgia Southern visits the Holmes Center for a 3 p.m. tipoff. The game will be part of ?Champions Day,’ honoring the football team’s unprecedented third-straight NCAA Division I football national championship, as well as the achievements of its perennially powerful men’s basketball and wrestling programs
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON 70, WOFFORD 60
CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Jermaine Johnson had 17 points and 12 rebounds while freshman Antwaine Wiggins recorded his first double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds leading the College of Charleston to a 70-60 Southern Conference victory over Wofford before 3,517 at John Kresse Arena on Thursday.
With the win, the Cougars improved to 9-8 overall and 4-3 in league play. The Terriers fell to 8-8 and 1-5. Both schools play road Southern Conference games on Saturday. The Cougars are at Furman for a 5:00 tipoff, while Wofford plays at The Citadel at 2:00.
Johnson, who posted his ninth double-double in the past 12 games, hit 6-of-11 field goals and added three blocks. Wiggins had three blocks and three assists. The Cougars had a season-high nine blocked shots.
Charleston freshman Andrew Goudelock, who had a team-high 16 points, had 10 in the first half as the Cougars took a 33-30 lead at intermission. Wofford's Shane Nichols, who scored a game-high 19 points, had 10 points at the break and hit five of 10 3-point attempts. The Terriers were 6-of-10 from behind the arc in the first half but was limited to just 2-of-9 shooting from behind the arc in the second half (22.2%)
After Wofford tied the game at 33-all to start the second half, the Cougars answered with a 15-4 run to take a 48-37 lead with 11:00 remaining. Wofford eventually cut the lead to 60-53 with 3:41 left on a 3-pointer by Nichols. Johnson hit all four of his free throw tries over the final 55 seconds to secure the win.
For the game, Charleston held a 37-23 rebounding margin, including a 14-9 edge on the offensive glass. Charleston shot 52.9 percent from the floor connecting on 27-of-51 attempts. Wofford shot 38.8 percent (19-49). Charleston shot a season-best 57.1 percent from behind the 3-point line converting 8-of-14 attempts.
GEORGIA SOUTHERN 67, ELON 57
ELON, N.C. --- Georgia Southern senior Anthony Marshall (Lake Worth, Fla.) led all scorers with a career-high 17 points to guide the Eagles to a 67-57 victory over Elon Thursday at Alumni Gym.
GSU runs its winning streak to three and improves to 12-5 overall and 5-2 in the Southern Conference. The Phoenix fall to 7-10 and 5-4.
Marshall had nine of his 17 points from behind the 3-point line and another six from the charity stripe. He shot 3-for-7 from long-range and 6-for-8 at the line.
“I thought he was really, really good off the bench,” said GSU head coach Jeff Price. “He’s a consummate team guy and gives us exactly what we need. He gives us fire and flair when he comes off the bench, he makes shots and he’s a veteran smart player.”
Senior Matthew Fields (Jacksonville, Fla.) notched his first double-double of the season with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Senior Louis Graham (West Palm Beach, Fla.) and freshman Willie Powers (Gainesville, Fla.) added 11 points each.
The Eagles struggled at the outset shooting just 2-for-13 in the first eight-plus minutes of the contest with five turnovers. Elon jumped out to a 12-4 lead during that time but surrendered an 11-2 run to allow Georgia Southern to earn a one-point advantage.
Elon scored just eight points in the final 9:35 of the first half and GSU outscored the Phoenix 12-2 in the last 5:02 of the period to take a 32-22 lead into halftime.
“We got off to a really slow start offensively and that was a concern. We had four points in eight minutes but on the flip side of that, they only had 12. I thought our defense was fairly solid. The press changed the game. It took them out of their offensive patterns and made them take shots they’re not accustomed to making. They had 13 turnovers and three assists at the half ? that’s a sign of a team that’s (being pressed). I thought that changed the game.”
The Phoenix shot just 35.3 percent from the floor for the game and 33.3 percent in the first half.
Elon managed to cut the deficit to four, 39-35, with 15:46 to go in the game but Georgia Southern answered with a 9-0 burst, capped off with a lay-up by Fields.
The Phoenix got within six (55-49) with 6:15 to play, but the Eagles answered with a bucket on their next possession and did not allow Elon any closer the rest of the game.
Elon’s Brett James tallied a team-high 15 points on three of four shooting from long range. Ola Otoyebi notched 13.