The Charleston Cougars (16-9) head to Delaware to take on the Fightin’ Blue Hens (6-19) in a game that has the potential to be low-scoring. The game gets underway at 7:00 pm ET on Thursday, Feb. 18.
The Fightin’ Blue Hens fell to Hofstra 77-66 in their last game. Kory Holden was the game’s high scorer with 23 points. The Cougars are coming off a 66-62 win over Elon in their last game. Jarrell Brantley led the team in scoring with 20 points on 8-for-13 shooting.
The ineffective offense of Delaware (268th in the nation with an offensive efficiency of 100.9) will square off against the top-notch defense of Charleston (19th in the nation with a defensive efficiency of 94.7). The Cougars figure to have the advantage on that end of the court.
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Cougars won the first game 59-58. Marvin King-Davis had a double-double in the defeat with 17 points and 14 rebounds.
The Fightin’ Blue Hens enter the game with records of 6-19 Straight Up (SU) and 8-14-1 Against The Spread (ATS). The Fightin’ Blue Hens will be looking to pick it up in this one after recent offensive struggles. In the last 10 games, Delaware has only averaged 59.0 points per game compared to the 67.5 they’ve averaged on the season. The Delaware defense has been on fire lately, allowing an average of 55.2 points per game, well under their season average of 76.7.
Across the court, Charleston has a SU record of 16-9 and an ATS record of 10-12. The Cougars are one of the top defensive teams in the nation, essentially shutting down opponents to the tune of 61.6 points allowed per game. The Charleston defense has been a problem for competitors, allowing only 5.0 field goals from three-point range per game.
Following the Cougars’ latest win over Delaware, Charleston is still behind in the head-to-head record over their most recent meetings, 1-4 SU. The Fightin’ Blue Hens also hold the advantage ATS with a record of 4-1. Charleston held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers once, while Delaware was never able to do so in their most recent five games.
Predictions: SU Winner – Chrstn, ATS Winner – Chrstn
Notes
Delaware averages 67.5 points per game, placing the team just 218th in the nation. Charleston ranks 10th in points allowed, giving up 61.6 points per game.
The Charleston Cougars have a defensive rating of 94.7 (ranked 19th), while the Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens have an offensive rating of 100.9 (ranked 268th).
The Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens average a field goal percentage of 40.2% this season. The Charleston Cougars have split their games this season (8-8) when opponents have a FG% of 40.2% or greater.
The Charleston Cougars rank lower for their field goal percentage (223rd) than their effective field goal percentage (211th), while the Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens rank the same for both metrics (328th).
The Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens make an average of 3.6 steals per game. When the Charleston Cougars allow 3 or more steals, they are a solid 15-9.
