Davidson beats College of Charleston in final minutes, 82-81
Davidson’s men’s basketball team has always had a tough time playing College of Charleston.
This year’s game was no different, as the Wildcats overcame a three-point deficit in the final minutes to beat the Cougars 82-81 on Saturday at Belk Arena.
Peyton Aldridge scored a season-high 21 points, including two free throws with 4.1 seconds remaining that put Davidson (2-0) in the lead.
Jack Gibbs added 18 points, Brian Sullivan 16 and Jordan Barham 10 for the Wildcats, who had to overcome a 31-point game from College of Charleston guard Canyon Barry before winning their second straight over the Cougars (2-1).
“We had to earn this one,” Davidson coach Bob McKillop said. “But we had guys make big plays at the end.”
Down 81-78 with 3 minutes, 54 seconds remaining, the Wildcats pulled within a point on Andrew McAuliffe’s hook shot with two minutes left.
After College of Charleston couldn’t convert on three straight possessions to extend its lead, Aldridge was fouled as he put back a missed Sullivan jumper. His two free throws were the 19th and final lead change of Saturday’s game.
The Cougars had one last chance at winning, but Marquise Pointer’s 3-point attempt bounced off the rim as the buzzer sounded.
Three who mattered
Peyton Aldridge: Scored 13 points in the second half to help keep the Wildcats close after College of Charleston overcame Davidson’s 52-45 halftime lead.
Jack Gibbs: His 15 first-half points on 6 of 10 shooting (including 2 of 5 3-pointers) helped the Wildcats stick with the Cougars over the first 20 minutes.
Canyon Barry: The son of NBA Hall of Famer Rick Barry, he shoots and scores like his famous dad, including dad’s signature underhanded free throw. The younger Barry was 12 of 25 from the field (including 3 of 8 on 3-pointers) and 4 of 4 on free throws.
Observations
▪ While the Wildcats forced College of Charleston into 17 turnovers, leading to a 24-14 advantage in points, Davidson was badly out-rebounded by the Cougars – a 44-27 edge, including 14-5 on the offensive glass. That led to a 20-9 edge in second-chance points.
▪ Davidson’s Jake Belford made the play of the game in the closing seconds of the first half. He came up with the rebound on Aldridge’s 3-point miss, and jacked up a 15-foot buzzer-beater for a 52-45 Wildcats lead.
Worth mentioning
The Wildcats have a busy week coming, with home games against Mercer on Monday and Denison next Saturday before their annual Hornets Nest game against Charlotte on Dec. 1.
They said it
“My heart can’t take any more of those, but it’ll make us better for the end of the season.” – Gibbs.
“I was just trying to put myself in the right position to get the ball. Brian had a great look, but unfortunately it didn’t go. Fortunately, I got the rebound and got fouled and went to the line.” – Aldridge.
This story was originally published November 21, 2015 at 4:19 PM with the headline "Davidson beats College of Charleston in final minutes, 82-81."