After going 0-for-5 from behind the arc in the first half, Andrew Goudelock dazzled the crowd, shooting 7-for-8 from 3-point land during the second half to lead the College of Charleston over Samford 75-54.
With the win, Charleston advanced to 11-2 in Southern Conference play and 16-8 overall, including an undefeated 10-0 mark at the Carolina First Arena. Samford fell to 3-9 in the conference and 9-15 overall.
Coach Bobby Cremins told his team to get off to a good start and that’s exactly what they did. Just under 10 minutes in the first half, the Cougars picked up their offense to finish the half on a 23-6 run to give Charleston a 39-15 halftime lead and part of the reason for this lead: Tony White, Jr.
White shot 4-for-6 from behind the arc, including a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to cap the run. His sole 3 points at Samford on January 14 gave him a little extra motivation today as he finished with 15 points.
“I just remember going back to when we played Samford earlier, I didn’t play my best. They kinda frustrated me a little bit. My teammates told me keep playing, keep playing my game,” White said. “That was kind of in the back of my head coming into the game today. I just wanted to play a little better and help my teammates out.”
After halftime, Goudelock came out and shelled out 21 of his 25 points with a career-high seven 3-pointers.
“Shooting 3s is a tricky thing. You never know. You can never tell when you’re going to make them or miss them,” Goudelock said. “Coach came in at halftime, told me to keep shooting, keep my head in the game. So I just listened to him and kept playing my game. The shots started falling.”
Samford’s shots, however, also started falling. The Bulldogs shot 50 percent from the field during the second half as they inched slowly toward the Cougars.
Even with Trey Montgomery’s 23 points, it was too little too late for Samford. The 6-4 senior made seven inside buckets, but the Cougars still maintained the lead for the entire game, despite being outscored in the paint.
Cremins had a few flashbacks to Thursday night’s game when his team let a 29-point lead slip to 10 during the second half, but Goudelock and company didn’t let their coach see a repeat.
“Goudelock was amazing the second half. They challenged him to drive. To his credit, he adjusted. All I told him was you gotta take what they give you,” Cremins said.  “The second half, Drew took exactly what the defense gave him. He caught, squared and shot. He’s a great shooter. I’m glad I don’t have to figure out how to defend him.”
Casaan Breeden finished with a career-high 9 rebounds out of Charleston’s season-high 47 rebounds.
Now, Charleston will turn to its crosstown rival Citadel, who will come to the Carolina First Arena on Monday at 7 p.m. after beating Samford on Thursday and playing Chattanooga on Saturday night.
The Cougars will look to sweep Citadel after beating them at the McAlister Field House 61-55 on Jan. 9.
White said he still has a bitter taste in his mouth after Citadel’s rare sweep during last season.
“Last year they came in and smacked us around. It wasn’t fun. They really owned Charleston last year,” White said. “It’s a rivalry game. So throw the records out of the door. We’re on the court and that’s what it’s all about. We’ll be ready for it.”