Cougars stun North Carolina

Whether Monday's 82-79 overtime victory over No. 9 ranked North Carolina is the biggest win in College of Charleston history is debatable. But there's no question it was the biggest win for the Cougars at Carolina First Arena.

Photo Gallery

Cougars Top Tar Heels

The College of Charleston beat ninth-ranked North Carolina 82-79 in overtime to a sellout crowd at the Cougars' Carolina First Arena on Monday night.

The Cougars' last win over a nationally ranked team was in 1998 over then-No. 3 North Carolina in Charlotte. And it gave Cougars faithful something to really be proud of, a 3-3 record against one of the country's top basketball programs.

'When I look back on my career, I will remember this moment forever,' said Cougars coach Bobby Cremins.

After being down by 11 points, 72-61, with just over four minutes left, the Cougars (now 8-6) turned the tables on the Tar Heels (11-4) and outscored UNC 12-1 to send the game into overtime. Andrew Goudelock scored Charleston's final eight points in regulation, including a 3-pointer with three seconds left to tie the game, much to the delight of the partisan 5,072 spectators.

The Cougars drew first blood in overtime when Donavan Monroe hit a 3-pointer and Charleston never trailed in the extra period. North Carolina cut the Cougars' lead to 80-79 with just under a minute remaining, then Monroe hit a pair of free throws, freshman Willis Hall grabbed a big rebound and Monroe sealed the deal by stealing a North Carolina inbounds pass with less than two seconds left.

'It's an indescribable feeling to be involved in something like this,' said Monroe, a junior from Waxhaw, N.C. 'I never pictured something like this coming to the College of Charleston. You want to get recruited by the Dukes and North Carolinas. I never knew anything like this would happen.'

Goudelock said the game was circled as soon as he saw the team's schedule.

'Every kid who plays basketball dreams of a shot like that,' Goudelock said of the 3-pointer that got the Cougars into overtime. 'I didn't see it go in. I fell down.'

Senior guard Tony White Jr. said the shot unfolded in slow motion.

'Any time he shoots it's a good possibility it's going in,' White said.

Goudelock, who suffered a cramp in his left leg with three seconds left, led the Cougars with 24 points. Casaan Breeden had 15 points and seven rebounds before fouling out. Monroe also had 15 points, while Jeremy Simmons and Tony White Jr. each scored 13.

North Carolina was led by Ed Davis who had 19 points and 16 rebounds.

Cremins once again thanked North Carolina coach Roy Williams for making the game possible.

'After the game, he said to me ‘Congratulations, your kids played great. I'm happy for you and your program,' ' Cremins said.

Cremins said he feared the Cougars would give up after they went down by 11.

'I thought the last five minutes were going to be fouls and North Carolina was going to win by 15,' he said. 'But strange things happen in basketball. I don't know how to explain it. The kids kept playing and made a couple of shots.

'It's a great win for our school, our conference, for our city.'

Williams said his team is about as low as it can be.

'We didn't make the plays down the stretch,' he said. 'We had some opportunities. I think we got one stop the last five or six possessions. We didn't make any shots the last five possessions.

'This was a great college basketball atmosphere. We thought we could get them in foul trouble (Breeden fouled out and Simmons played much of the second half with four fouls) but we never finished.

'It doesn't feel good for us right now. It was a tough night. We've got to bounce back and be smarter and more effective.'