University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
3-6
College of Charleston
8-1
Vols Rally, But Fall At CofC, 71-65
December 14, 2011 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 14, 2011
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CHARLESTON, S.C. - A 20-2 College of Charleston run midway through the second half keyed the Cougars' 71-65 win over Tennessee on Wednesday night at a sold-out TD Arena. Sophomore Jordan McRae led the Vols (3-6) with 19 points as Tennessee lost its fourth game in a row. Junior Dwight Miller had career-highs of 13 points and seven rebounds.
The Vols rallied back from being down by as many as 14 to cut the deficit to just three at 68-65 with 58.9 seconds left as McRae nailed his third 3-pointer in less than a three-minute span. The Cougars (8-1) made three late free throws to hold on for the win.
College of Charleston has won 14 games in a row at home and posts its second-straight win over the Vols after winning 91-78 in Knoxville last season.
The Cougars outscored the Vols 48-21 over more than 20 minutes bridging the halves to pull away and take a commanding lead of as large as 14 at 63-49 with 5:57 left in the second half. Tennessee had built its largest lead of 13 at 28-15 with 5:37 left in the first half thanks in large part to Miller, who had 13 in the first half.
Greeneville, Tenn. native Antwaine Wiggins led CofC with a career-high tying 24 points on 10-of-12 shooting. Andrew Lawrence added 14 for the Cougars.
Wiggins gave the Cougars their first lead since 10-9 with consecutive baskets for a 49-47 lead with 12:50 left in the second half. They continued a 13-0 run as Matt Sundburg knocked down a 3-pointer and Wiggins tipped in a rebound with 10:30 left in the game for a 56-47 lead for CofC. Trae Golden ended the bleeding momentarily with a bucket at 8:46, but the Vols still trailed 56-49. The lead ballooned to 14 on another trey by Sundburg.
Down by two touchdowns, the Vols cut the deficit to five at 67-62 as McRae nailed two 3-pointers and Skylar McBee made another. But Wiggins and Anthony Stitt answered with baskets for the Cougars who held on for the win.
Miller was the story of the first half as he had 13 points and six rebounds in nine minutes to help the Vols to a 37-33 lead on the scoreboard and a 24-16 lead on the boards. UT trailed just once in the first half at 10-9, but followed that up with a 19-5 run to lead by as many as 13.
Charleston outscored the Vols 18-9 to end the half to cut the margin to just four heading into intermission.
Miller continued his torrid start with consecutive baskets to put the Vols up 26-15 with 6:55 left in the first half. That four-point spurt set a new career-high to that point in a little more than 13 minutes. Jeronne Maymon's lay-up extended the lead to 28-15 with 5:37 left in the first for another mini run of 7-0.
The Vols built a 19-10 lead as McBee canned back-to-back 3-pointers to key a 10-0 run midway through the first half.
Tennessee returns home to start a four-game homestand next Tuesday as UNC Asheville comes to Knoxville for a 7 p.m. tip-off on SportSouth and the Vol Network.
