Five Freshmen Combine for 40 Pts., CofC Begin CAA Play Next Week
By: CofC Sports Media / HCS Sports
Norfolk, Virginia – Charleston Basketball ended its 2021-22 nonconference slate in style with a wild, gritty road victory over Old Dominion on Wednesday night. The Cougars topped ODU, 82-80, punctuated by a game-winning floater in the lane from freshman Babacar Faye with 27 seconds remaining.
The Cougars finish nonconference play 8-4 overall with three true road wins already under their belt. CofC used a balanced effort and an impressive display from its group of five freshmen to upend the Monarchs. Seven Cougars chipped in at least eight points, including a freshmen quartet of Reyne Smith (10 pts.), Ben Burnham (10 pts.), Raekwon Horton (9 pts.) and Babacar Faye (8 pts.).
Burnham’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer to end the first half gave CofC a 41-39 halftime lead after a deadlocked opening 20 minutes. Charleston came roaring out of the gate in the second half, going on a 13-4 run to build a 64-52 lead paced by back-to-back trifectas from Smith.
In a game of runs, Old Dominion responded and chipped away at the Charleston lead. The Monarchs clawed back behind 46 free throw attempts to take an 80-78 edge with 1:56 remaining. CofC would go on to hold ODU scoreless for the final 1:56. After a clutch putback from Burnham, the Cougars got a key stop to set up a final offensive possession. That’s when Faye nailed the game-winning floater to seal a thrilling road victory.
Charleston dominated the glass once again, outrebounding Old Dominion, 46-32, including 19 offensive boards. CofC outscored the Monarchs, 40-14, in the paint.
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