Box Score Game Box (pdf)
Inside Wofford Basketball
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Wofford men’s basketball team took a twenty point lead by halftime and ended with an 88-63 win over Georgia Southern on Saturday night at Benjamin Johnson Arena. The Terriers had four players score in double figures, which included a career-high 18 points by Drew Crowell.
Wofford is now 10-8 on the season and 3-3 in the Southern Conference, while Georgia Southern is 6-10 overall and 4-2 in conference play. The Terriers were led by Kevin Giltner with 23 points, including 4-of-5 from three. Drew Crowell added 18 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Brad Loesing added 16 points and Karl Cochran had ten points. The Eagles were led by Eric Ferguson with 26 points and eight rebounds.
“Georgia Southern has been playing well and they put a lot of quickness and speed on the floor,” said Wofford head coach Mike Young. “I thought it would disrupt us offensively and we would not get the things I wanted to get. We played with great poise and great composure, along with confidence and toughness. You better play with toughness when you play this bunch or they will make you look silly. To come out of here with 20 assists and only eight turnovers is a real positive for our club. I am really proud of our team tonight.”
The Terriers scored first with a bucket by Drew Crowell, but the Eagles tied it at two. Wofford then put together a 10-0 run to take a 12-2 lead in the game after six minutes. Back-to-back three pointers by Kevin Giltner and Brad Loesing pushed the advantage to 22-6 with eleven minutes on the clock in the first half. With eight minutes left, a technical foul was called on the Georgia Southern bench. Brad Loesing hit the two free throws for a 27-9 lead.
Wofford was able to take a 21 point lead with five minutes remaining in the first half at 32-11 after a shot by Kevin Giltner. The Eagles would trim the lead to 36-20, but the Terriers responded with a quick 7-0 run that included a three by Kevin Giltner for a 43-20 lead with one minute left in the half. Georgia Southern scored three points before the horn for a 43-23 score at the break. Wofford was 62.1% from the floor in the opening half.
Karl Cochran hit a three early in the second half for a 47-23 lead for the Terriers and Brad Loesing added a three to push the lead to 50-25. Drew Crowell added a jumper for a 27 point lead just two minutes into play. Wofford was able to hold either a 25 or 27 point lead for the next five minutes. At the ten minute mark, Domas Rinksalis dunked and Drew Crowell had a jumper for a 69-42 lead. The Eagles would pull within 22 points, but a three by Kevin Giltner pushed the advantage back to 74-47 with seven minutes to play. In the final two minutes, Matt Steelman hit two three pointers for the Terriers, resulting in the 88-63 final score.
The Terriers shot a season-high 61.5% from the floor for the evening, while Georgia Southern shot 48.1% overall. Wofford finished 9-20 from behind the arc. The Eagles went 1-of-9 from three. Wofford was 15-of-19 from the free throw line, while Georgia Southern went 10-of-16 from the charity stripe. The Terriers had a 31 to 22 lead on the glass and had only eight turnovers.
Kevin Giltner has hit a three pointer in the last thirteen games and has scored twenty or more points in four games this season. Wofford is one of only three teams in the Southern Conference to have a winning record, along with Davidson and the College of Charleston.
Wofford’s next home game will be Thursday, January 19 against Appalachian State at 7:00 p.m. at Benjamin Johnson Arena. The Terriers return to the road on Saturday, January 21 at Furman for a 4:00 p.m. contest.
