The College of Charleston men’s basketball team secured a narrow 66-64 victory over Hofstra on Thursday night in Hempstead, New York. With this win, the Cougars improve their overall record to 14-8 and move to 7-2 in Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play.
Charleston began the game with a three-pointer from Connor Hickman but struggled offensively for much of the first half. Both teams had difficulty finding rhythm early, as Hofstra managed just one field goal in its first eight attempts. The Pride gained momentum midway through the half, shooting 40% compared to Charleston’s 19% in the opening ten minutes and building a 15-9 lead.
A key defensive block by Chol Machot set up a layup by Jlynn Counter and a dunk by Martin Kalu that helped reduce Charleston’s deficit late in the half. Despite these efforts, the Cougars trailed 30-23 at halftime. Machot finished the first period with five blocks.
After halftime, Hofstra extended its advantage to eleven points before Counter sparked Charleston’s offense. He scored four consecutive baskets, narrowing the gap to four points. A subsequent run fueled by Christian Reeves’ inside play and a three-pointer from Chris David Jr. tied the score at 47 with eight minutes left.
Counter gave Charleston its first lead since early in the contest after making two free throws, helping extend their margin during a decisive 16-3 run. Hofstra responded late but was unable to tie or win as Charleston’s defense forced a shot clock violation with under fifteen seconds remaining. The Pride missed two final opportunities as time expired.
“Counter had a game-high 22 points, scoring 20 in the second half,” according to team statistics provided after the game. “The graduate student added ten rebounds and five assists for his second career double-double.” Christian Reeves contributed another double-double with sixteen points and thirteen rebounds, while Machot grabbed ten boards himself.
Other notable contributions included eight points each from Martin Kalu and Connor Hickman.
Game notes indicate that Charleston shot 38% from the field compared to Hofstra’s 33%. The Pride narrowly led in rebounding (50-49), while turnovers favored Charleston—who committed only nine throughout the contest and just two after halftime.
“This is Charleston’s fourth win of the season when trailing at the break,” according to team records. The Cougars are now unbeaten this season (6-0) in games decided by five points or fewer.
Charleston next faces Northeastern on Saturday, January 31st in Boston.
