BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – Four Terriers scored in double figures and the Wofford men's basketball team limited Sam Houston State to 31.4 percent shooting in a 64-53 victory Sunday afternoon at Webster Bank Arena.
 
The Terriers gained control with a 7-2 spurt before the half to lead by seven, and came out of the locker rooms with the first five. It completed a 12-2 run that resulted in a 31-19 lead.
 
Sam Houston State got back within seven points on its first made three of the game after starting 0-for-19. Dakarai Henderson hit the triple with 3:51 to play, but the Terriers responded as they had done so all game. Junior Spencer Collins hit 1-of-2 at the line before senior Karl Cochran was left wide open in transition, draining the dagger that put Wofford back up by 11.
 
The victory is Wofford's (4-1) fourth in a row, earning a three-game sweep at the Coaches vs. Cancer sub-regional, hosted by Fairfield. The Terriers defeated South Dakota 72-68 on Saturday night and started the weekend with a 54-36 thumping of the Stags.
 
"A tip of the cap to our team – we played good basketball," said head coach Mike Young. "I felt like today could have been a trap game against a very good Sam Houston team. It would have been awfully easy to moan and groan about playing three games in three days, but our guys continued to perform. We were terrific defensively and we were good enough offensively to get out of there win a win."
 
Wofford shot 51.2 percent to outpace Sam Houston State (3-2) by nearly 20 percentage points. Henderson's late three was the team's only make from beyond the arc, as Wofford forced tough perimeter attempts that left SHSU 1-for-24 in the game.
 
"We take a lot of pride in our defense," Young added. "We spend a lot of time on it and our guys believe and understand that they've got to be good on defense every night. We have been thus far and I look forward to seeing continued improvement as we move down the line."
 
Sophomore Eric Garcia led Wofford with 14 points that included a perfect 6-for-6 showing at the free throw line. Collins dropped 13 on 5-of-6 from the floor, while seniors Cochran and Lee Skinner finished with 12 and 10 points, respectively.
 
Cochran and Skinner were named to the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic Fairfield Sub-Regional All-Tournament Team at the conclusion of play. Cochran averaged 17.7 points on 46.5-percent shooting and a 12-of-25 mark from three, also going for 7.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals per contest. Skinner grabbed 23 total rebounds to average 7.7 as well, but also included eight boards on the offensive end. The Lombard, Ill. native averaged 8.3 points on 40 percent from the floor.
 
The Terriers played great defense right out of the gate. Sam Houston struggled to find many open looks and was forced to take shots late in the clock, resulting in a few violations.
 
Cochran picked up where he left off Saturday. After hitting eight triples to score a career-high 31 against South Dakota, he drained his first 3-point attempt of the afternoon. Buckets by junior Justin Gordon, freshman Cameron Jackson and Skinner catapulted Wofford to an early 13-4 run.
 
The solid defense continued. The Bearkats committed desperation turnovers late in the shot clock and the Terriers were collecting all the early rebounds, holding a 9-4 edge on the glass through the first 10 minutes.
 
Unable to break the Wofford defense, SHSU found a way back in the game by getting to the line. The Terriers committed their 10th foul of the half at the 3:56 mark and Sam Houston scored its final eight points at the charity stripe.
 
"I want to reiterate my admiration for Sam Houston – they've got a very good club," noted Young. "They're well coached and they're going to win a lot of games. That's a great win for our team."
 
It got as close as a basket at 17-15, but Wofford opened up some distance with nine of the last 13 to lead 26-19 at the break.
 
Collins entered the locker rooms 4-of-5 from the field with eight points, showing off a good mid-range game. The Terriers shot 50 percent (10-20 FG) to SHSU's 22.7 percent (5-22 FG), including 0-of-11 from three.
 
Skinner scored on the first possession of the second half and Garcia followed in a big way. The sophomore point was good from deep to give the Terriers their first 10-point lead and went on to score eight straight Terrier points. It put Wofford up 38-26 with 14:46 to play.
 
The lead grew to as many as 15 on consecutive baskets by Collins, Cochran and Skinner. Sam Houston made a run to get back in it, but junior Justin Gordon slammed home a one-handed tomahawk jam that gave the Terriers the energy they needed to finish off their fourth straight victory.
 
The Wofford men's basketball team hosts NCAA Div. II Ohio Valley on Tuesday at 7 p.m. inside Benjamin Johnson Arena.
 
Postgame Notes:
- Karl Cochran & Lee Skinner were named to the Coaches vs. Cancer Fairfield Sub-regional All-Tournament Team.
- The Terriers won their fourth straight game, all against mid-major opponents (Iona, Fairfield, South Dakota & Sam Houston State).
- Wofford recorded its second game of 50-percent shooting from the field and is 48.4 percent for the season
- Wofford's defense held opponents to 34.5 percent in the three-game tournament, including 19.0 percent from three.
- It was the first series meeting between Woffoord and Sam Houston State.