2:32 pm | July 16, 2018 | Go to Source | Author: Dane Belbeck
Thanks to an incredible second half rally in the Colonial Athletic Association tournament final, Charleston ended its 19-year NCAA tournament drought and will head back to the Big Dance.
The Cougars trailed by as many as 17 points in the second half of the final against Northeastern, but jumped on Joe Chealey‘s back to force overtime. The senior guard exploded for 32 points, including a perfect 16-of-16 from the foul line.
Charleston would take the early lead in the extra session on a Marquise Pointer triple and never look back, cutting down the nets for the first time since 1999.
Record vs. tournament-bound teams: 0-2
Charleston’s non-conference schedule featured two games against tournament-bound teams in Wichita State and Rhode Island. The Cougars got blown out by the Shockers but fared much better against the Rams, suffering a close six-point loss on the road.
Season Summary
With a successful non-conference schedule, Charleston ran through the Colonial schedule with a sparkling record of 14-4. The Cougars were among the hottest teams in the country to end the season, winning 14 of their last 15 games.
Charleston’s offense features a three-headed monster of Grant Riller, Chealey, and Jarrell Brantley, who all average at least 17 points per game and account for 72 percent of the Cougars scoring.
Charleston projects as a likely No. 13 or No. 14 seed, and with a talented trio like Riller, Chealey, and Brantley, could be a very difficult team to deal with in the early rounds of the NCAA tournament.
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