Terriers and Eagles set to meet again
Photo By: Jessica Stanfield
Twice already, Wofford College has defeated the Georgia Southern University men's basketball team and tomorrow's matchup will pit the two teams together again.
The first time these teams played, the Terriers won at home by an 18-point margin. In their second matchup the Eagles played better, but the Terriers excelled in the clutch and beat GSU 53-47 on their home court. Now the teams meet again in the Southern Conference Tournament.
After their second game against the Terriers, head coach Charlton Young said, "Tonight's game boiled down to two things. We gave up 11 offensive rebounds and down the stretch. Wofford made the effort plays that it took to get the win."
GSU is coming off a 35-point beat down by Davidson College, and the Eagles are 3-5 in their last eight games. On the other bench, the Terriers are 5-3 in their last eight games and look to continue their dominance of GSU this season.
The Eagles have been inconsistent offensively this season but have caught fire shooting in some games and to succeed against the Terriers they will have find consistency within their offense.
Although the Eagles average more points per game (62.3) than the Terriers (58.5), in both games the Eagles were not able to score more than 53 points.
Defensively in those games the Eagles could not stop sophomore guard Karl Cochran who has scored a combined 41 points in two games against GSU, leading the Terriers in scoring for both games.
Cochran is the leading scorer for the Terriers, averaging 16 points per game. However, in the two games against the Eagles Cochran is shooting 17-43 (39.5) from the field, barely 40 percent.
The Terriers' key to winning is their offensive rebounding because they do not shoot the ball well at 39.4 percent; second chance opportunities are a huge factor for them.
In both matchups the Eagles were outrebounded offensively, the Terriers held a 25-12 offensive rebounding advantage in both games combined.
The Eagles have put up great games offensively this season, and they must muster up another one to ensure victory against the Terriers. Effort and offense are key contributing factors for GSU to come out victorious tomorrow.
Because they do not have superb height as a team, the Eagles need to become workhorses in the paint in order to prevent the Terriers from getting second chance opportunities.
Tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. the Eagles and the Terriers kick off the SoCon Tournament in Asheville, N.C. at the U.S. Cellular Center.