Survival

As the old saying in March goes, “Survive and Advance,” and that is exactly what the Cougars had to do Sunday night against Monmouth.

As the old saying in March goes, “Survive and Advance,” and that is exactly what the Cougars had to do Sunday night against Monmouth. We wrote last week about the Hawks’ success and strong play coming into the conference tournament, and they certainly lived up to the prediction. Sunday night was an absolute battle. Early on, the Hawks and Cougars traded points and two-point leads, with The College leading by one going into the half.

Charleston used an 8-0 run to start the second half, jumping out to a nine-point lead and seemingly putting the Hawks away early. But Bashir and Collins hit huge shots to get Monmouth back in the game. Overall, I felt the defense did a good job against the nation’s leader in three-point field goals (Bashir, 9-23 for 24 points). Mack and the staff used double teams off ball screens multiple times on the shooters, forcing them to hesitate on their shot-versus-pass decision, allowing our defense to rotate and recover.

I have praised him almost every game in the second half of this season, but I cannot overstate how important the little things Lazar Djokovic does for this team. He finished with seven points and seven rebounds, including a key tip to Ante for the game-tying score at the end of regulation. The energy and effort he plays with on both ends do not go unnoticed. On multiple plays, his tips allowed us to secure crucial rebounds, both offensively and defensively.

AJ Smith had another great game, scoring 17 points off the bench and seemingly getting to the basket or free throw line whenever we needed a bucket. He did a great job keeping us in the game in the first half when Monmouth was making its run. Heady plays by CJ Fulton (10 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists) and Derrin Boyd (16 points, 8 rebounds) late in the second half proved crucial to the Cougars' victory, including Derrin’s critical three-pointer at the end of regulation and his elite defensive play on Bashir to knock the ball away and get a steal late in overtime. Ante provided a much-needed inside scoring presence (22 points, 8 rebounds). It was clear the game plan late was to put him into pick-and-rolls with CJ and play out of the post.

The quarterfinal win now sets up Round 3 against conference rivals UNC Wilmington. UNCW looked impressive for most of the game against Hampton on Sunday and has, in my opinion, been the most complete team on both ends of the floor in the CAA. I expect the Cougars to be licking their chops for another shot at Wilmington after losing both matchups during the regular season. Bo Montgomery proved to be a critical piece for the Seahawks against Hampton, scoring 18 points—15 of which came in the first half when UNCW jumped out to a big lead and never truly looked back.

While it is tough to beat a team three times in one season, UNCW is playing its best basketball of the season right now and can beat you in a lot of different ways. If the Cougars are to advance Monday night, they will need to key in on a few things in the game plan. Mack mentioned in postgame interviews that he felt the Cougars did a good job not allowing UNCW to get good first looks in the last matchup, but the second and third looks from offensive rebounds crushed them. I couldn’t agree more. The early offensive rebounds in that game turned what was a one- or two-possession game into a 10–12-point lead for UNCW.

It is imperative that the Cougars box out and attack the glass on both ends. Not every shot is going to fall, and it is important that we get as many second-chance opportunities as possible. The Cougars must drive the basketball and get to the free-throw line to help open outside looks for our shooters. Defensively, outside of boxing out and limiting putbacks, the Cougars cannot let UNCW play inside-out. McGriff is incredibly talented and does a great job getting post touches and using his athleticism and skill to score over his right shoulder. UNCW gets great production from its guard play, and while they don’t tend to settle for a ton of threes, they are more than capable of knocking them down—especially when the ball is kicked out from a post touch or straight-line drive.

Just like Sunday night, the Cougars need to make winning plays when it matters and show championship grit. I have faith this team will do just that Monday night. While UNCW has had our number in the regular season, we are still the back-to-back defending CAA Champions.

As a great poet once said, “To be the man, you’ve got to beat the man!”

Go Cougs!

The Charleston Edge

The Charleston Edge Collective is dedicated to empowering CofC student-athletes through NIL opportunities, ensuring they have the resources to build their brands and succeed both on and off the playing surface.

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