Box Score Game box (pdf)
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Illinois – The Wofford men’s basketball team won 56-49 over Prairie View A&M on Saturday afternoon at Sears Centre Arena as part of the Chicago Invitational Challenge. The Terriers had a two point lead at the half and hit 11-of-13 free throws in the second half to secure the victory.
Wofford is 3-3 on the season and Prairie View A&M is 2-5 overall. The Terriers were led by Kevin Giltner with 15 points and Brad Loesing with 14 points. Aerris Smith had a team-high seven rebounds. The Panthers were led by Jourdan Demuynck with ten points, all in the second half, and six rebounds. Brad Loesing was named to the Chicago Invitational Challenge All-Tournament Team.
“I would much rather play ugly and win than play great and lose,” said head coach Mike Young. “That was about as ugly as it gets. We did enough to get out of here with a win. We took better care of the ball in the second half and had more shots. For the most part we were really good defensively. We come off this trip 2-2 and we will take it and get ready for league play beginning on Thursday. I am looking forward to getting back home and get better on the practice court since we have a number of things to work on.”
Wofford opened the game with a three by Brad Loesing. A bucket by Lee Skinner gave the Terriers a 7-2 lead with 13:40 on the clock. A three by Kevin Giltner made it a 12-7 advantage with 9:18 remaining in the first half. Wofford was able to extend the led with another three by Kevin Giltner at 6:23 to make it a 17-11 game. The Panthers went on a 6-0 run to end the first half, with a 19-17 score in favor of the Terriers.
The Terriers hit a pair of free throws by John Swinton to open the scoring in the second half. The Panthers would score the next four points to tie the game at 21 with 18:22 on the clock. Two free throws and a three pointer by Brad Loesing gave Wofford a 26-21 lead. Wofford continued the 8-0 run for a 29-21 lead after a shot by Lee Skinner with 14:58 left in the second half.
Prairie View pulled within three points at 31-28, but the Terriers were up 35-31 at 11:54 in the second half. The Panthers tied the game at 35, then hit a three with 10:06 on the clock for a 38-35 lead, their first of the game. Their 7-0 run ended with a bucket by Aerris Smith and a three by Kevin Giltner tied the game at 40 with 8:22 remaining. A dunk by Karl Cochran with 5:41 on the clock gave the Terriers a 42-41 lead.
The score was tied at 44 and 46 before a free throw by Drew Crowell gave the Terriers a 47-46 advantage. Two free throws by Kevin Giltner and a bucket by Lee Skinner made it a 51-47 lead with 1:28 left in the game. Wofford hit 3-of-4 free throws in the final thirty seconds and Karl Cochran hit a bucket with five seconds left to provide the 56-49 final margin.
Wofford shot 35.8% from the floor while Prairie View A&M shot 37.5% overall. The Terriers were 5-of-19 from three, while the Panthers were 1-of-11 from behind the arc. Wofford was 13-of-15 from the line and Prairie View A&M was 18-of-32 from the line. The Panthers had a 34-32 lead in rebounds, but had 18 turnovers in the contest.
Wofford returns home on Thursday, December 1, against Davidson in the SoCon opener for both teams. The game will be the beginning of a five-game home stand for the Terriers.
