College of Charleston 89, Queens University 65
CHARLESTON, S.C. - Sophomore Jordan Scott scored a game-high 23 points to lead five players in double figures as College of Charleston defeated NCAA Division II Queens University of Charlotte, 89-65, in exhibition play on Saturday night before a crowd of 2,007 at TD Arena.
Scott went 9-of-11 from the floor including 5-for-6 from beyond the arc, while junior point guard Andrew Lawrence also lit it up from three going 4-for-5 and ending the night with 18 points.
It was a good sign of the Cougar youth embracing their new roles on the team which previously relied on offensive production from last year's senior class in CofC greats Andrew Goudelock, Donavan Monroe and Jeremy Simmons.
Freshman phenom Adjehi Baru didn't score his first basket until the 10:14 minute mark of the first half, but showed his presence down low with a double-double performance with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Senior Antwaine Wiggins and sophomore Trent Wiedeman, who combined for 49 starts a year ago, were the other CofC players in double figures with 19 and 10 points respectively.
After a closely-contested first half with the Royals, the Cougars finally broke away into a double-digit lead on a three-pointer by Scott with 8:14 to go and never looked back. Defensively, CofC forced Queens into committing 28 turnovers and shooting just 25 percent (2-of-8) from three-point land.
The Cougars will close out exhibition play with NCAA Division II Limestone College on Saturday, Nov. 5 at 6 p.m. at TD Arena.
The Citadel 87, Tennessee Wesleyan 60
CHARLESTON, S.C. - Freshman guard Ashton Moore scored a game-high 21 points behind six 3-pointers as The Citadel earned an 87-60 exhibition victory Tennessee Wesleyan at McAlister Field House on Saturday evening. Moore was one of five players in double figures, along with Mike Groselle (15 points, 13 rebounds), DeVontae Wright (13 points), Lawrence Miller (12 points) and Cosmo Morabbi (10 points).
The Bulldogs capped off the victory by hitting 31-of-59 (52.5%) from the floor, including 14-of-30 from beyond the arc. The freshman tandem of Moore (6-10) and Miller (4-7) paved the way for 14 Citadel 3-pointers. Morrabi also returned to form, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers en route to 10 points. Groselle crashed the boards for 13 rebounds, while teammate Jordan Robertson finished with seven to give the Bulldogs a decisive 48-28 edge on the glass.
"I am pleased with the entire effort of the team," said Citadel Head Coach Chuck Driesell. "We play these games to try and find out where we are defensively and in terms of our offensive execution after two weeks of practice and we did a really nice job tonight. Moore played an outstanding game, but everybody played an outstanding game. Moore stood out because he is really smooth and under control, but more importantly because he was knocking down shots."
The duo of Desmond Crisp (17 points) and Quincy Scates (12 points) led the way for Tennessee Wesleyan, who was held to 20-of-53 (37.7%) shooting in the contest. Crisp also posted a team-high five rebounds, snagging four on the defensive end. Senior swingman Jesse Booher was successful on 2-of-4 3-point attempts, finishing as the only TWC player to have multiple long distance conversions. Meanwhile, teammate E'Jay Ward handed out a game-high eight assists.
The Citadel quickly added to its 52-27 halftime advantage with a layup by Wright and a 3-pointer from the corner by Morrabi to push the lead to 30 points within the first 1:01 of action. Six points in the paint from Groselle, along with a deep 3-pointer by Moore, allowed the Dogs to maintain their significant lead, 68-39, with 12:56 remaining in the half. Just over two minutes later, after a bucket from Wright, Miller drained the third Citadel 3-pointer of the half to give the Cadets a 72-41 edge.
Booher answered with a 3-pointer for Tennessee Wesleyan, but a series of points from Groselle, Bray and Moore made for a 78-45 lead with 8:35 remaining. Moore then capped off his 21-point performance with his sixth 3-pointer of the night on a pass from Harris III at the 7:04 mark.
The trio of Crisp, Harper and Dylan Powers combined for nine of the final 11 Tennessee Wesleyan points. Meanwhile, Citadel freshman P.J. Horgan added three points down the stretch, highlighted by a dunk on a pass from Harris III, as The Citadel closed out the 87-60 exhibition victory.
The Citadel converted 19-of-30 (63.3%) field goal attempts in the first half, including a 9-of-18 from beyond the arc, to take a 52-27 lead into the break. Moore, who hit 4-for-6 from 3-point range, paced the Dogs with 12 points. Joining Moore among double-figure scorers was Wright, who closed the opening frame with 10 points. The tandem of Miller (9 points) and Groselle (8 points) rounded out first half scoring leaders for the Cadets.
Precisely four minutes into the game, Scates hit a pair of free throws to deadlock the game at 6-6. The Citadel answered with a 13-0 run over the next 3:54 of the contest, highlighted by five points from Morabbi and a 3-pointer from Moore. The Cadets stretched their lead to 23-10 on a pair of buckets from Groselle, before Jesse Booher drained a 3-pointer for Tennessee Wesleyan.
Four points by Wright in a 37 second stretch extended The Citadel lead to 31-17 with 8:08 left in the half. Just under a minute later Moore sparked a 21-10 run with his first of two 3-pointers in the final 7:22 of the half on a pass from Harris III and in the process gave the Dogs a 34-17 advantage. The Cadets followed with buckets from Harris III, Groselle and Miller to stretch the lead to 41-21 with 5:11 remaining. Miller responded with 3-pointers in consecutive trips to the offensive end as The Citadel held a 25-point lead at the intermission.
"We managed to get looks from the perimeter tonight because we pushed the ball, could get down the floor and create some open looks," Driesell added. "But, I didn't know how well we would shoot from the perimeter. Again, that is why you play these games early, because for many of those guys it was their first college basketball game. We as coaches have got to know there are nerves involved and an adjustment period, but they responded by shooting the ball extremely well."
The 2011-12 Citadel Basketball season opens at the inaugural All Military Classic in Colorado Springs, Colo. against VMI, on Nov. 11. The All Military Classic concludes the following day when The Citadel goes head-to-head against either Air Force or Army. On Nov. 16, The Citadel hosts Clemson, marking the first time that the two teams have played at McAlister Field House since Nov. 28, 1989. Five days later, the Bulldogs complete a two-game homestand when they square off against Florida Christian. The Dogs complete the first month of action with a road game at High Point on Nov. 26.