Charleston Prevails in Overtime to Win Back-to-Back CAA Championships
Rob Washburn
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 12, 2024) – Top-seeded Charleston became the first back-to-back winner of the Jersey Mike’s CAA Men’s Basketball Championship since 2017, battling past 7
th-seeded Stony Brook, 82-79 in an overtime thriller on Tuesday night at the Entertainment & Sports Arena.
It was the 12
th straight victory for the Cougars (27-7), who earned an automatic to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship for the third time in seven years. Stony Brook, which knocked off 2
nd-seeded Drexel and 3
rd-seeded Hofstra to reach its first CAA title game, dropped to 20-15.
Junior guard Reyne Smith was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player after pouring in a team-high 23 points, including eight of Charleston’s nine points in overtime. Ben Burnham added 14 points and seven rebounds, while Frankie Policelli (12 points), Ante Brzovic (12 points) and Kobe Rodgers (10 points) also tallied double figures.
Stony Brook got an outstanding effort from graduate guard Tyler Stephenson-Moore, who drained 7-of-12 three-pointers and scored a game-high 26 points. Keenan Fitzmorris contributed 16 points, seven rebounds and three blocks, while Aaron Clarke (11 points) and Dean Noll (10 points) also scored double digits.
Charleston led by just two with 11 minutes left in regulation before going on an 8-0 run capped by a Smith three-pointer that put the Cougars up 66-56. Charleston still led by nine with under five minutes to go when Stony Brook made its move. The Seawolves reeled off nine unanswered points and pulled even at 73-73 on an Aaron Clarke driving layup with 2:12 to go. Both teams had a pair of possessions down the stretch, but were unable to convert, forcing overtime.
The Cougars never trailed in the extra session as Smith hit a layup followed by his sixth three of the night to make it 78-73 with 2:20 to go. Stony Brook got within 81-79 on a Clarke trey with four seconds left, but Smith tacked on a free throw and the Seawolves misfired on a desperation 3-point attempt as time expired.
There were 10 lead changes and three ties during a fast-paced first half that saw the two teams combine to make 13 three-pointers. Stephenson-Moore tallied nine points in the first six minutes to give Stony Brook an early 13-11 advantage before Charleston went on an 11-2 run capped by Burnham layup to go ahead 22-15. The Seawolves answered with 10 consecutive points to retake the lead, 28-24. Stony Brook closed the half on a 7-1 run and was up 40-35 at the break as Stephenson-Moore had 17 points.
It was the sixth overtime final in the history of the CAA Men’s Basketball Championship, and first since 2018, when Charleston beat Northeastern. The Cougars are the first repeat champions since UNCW did it in 2016 and 2017.
Gallery: (3-12-2024) 2024 MBB Champ: Charleston Celebration
Both teams shot an identical 43.3% from the floor and were on fire from long range. Stony Brook finished 15-of-35 from beyond the arc and Charleston was 13-of-30, setting a tournament record for most combined threes.
Joining Smith on the all-tournament team were Charleston’s Policelli and Rodgers, Stony Brook’s Fitzmorris and Stephenson-Moore, and Hofstra guard Tyler Thomas.
CAA ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Reyne Smith, Charleston (MVP)
Frankie Policelli, Charleston
Kobe Rodgers, Charleston
Keenan Fitzmorris, Stony Brook
Tyler Stephenson-Moore, Stony Brook
Tyler Thomas, Hofstra
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