CHARLESTON ADVANCES TO CAA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME FOR FIRST TIME IN PROGRAM HISTORY WITH 79-49 WIN OVER STONY BROOK
Ben Kane
HIGHLIGHTS |
PHOTO GALLERY |
PRESS CONFERENCE – CHARLESTON |
PRESS CONFERENCE – STONY BROOK
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 14, 2026) – No. 1 Charleston earned its first ticket in program history to the Credit Union CAA Women’s Basketball Championship game with a 79-49 win over No. 4 Stony Brook on Saturday afternoon at CareFirst Arena in Washington, D.C.
The Cougars (26-5) are the fifth top-seeded team in the past six years to make the CAA championship game and will face the winner of the semifinal matchup between No. 3 Drexel and No. 10 Hofstra on Sunday at 2 p.m. Stony Brook droppped to 17-15 after the setback.
The Barbot sisters dominated the day. Taylor Barbot recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 assists, the third-highest assist tally in conference tournament history. Taryn Barbot neared a quadruple-double with 24 points alongside seven rebounds, six assists, and six steals. Janay Brantley’s 11 points paced the Seawolves.
Charleston was extremely efficient, scoring on a 48.5% clip from the field and 42.9% from behind the arc. Defensively, the top seed entering the tournament forced Stony Brook into 20 turnovers, converting 22 points off the tally.
The Cougars put their slow start in the quarterfinals behind them, sprinting out to a 7-0 run through the first two minutes. After a career-high 3-point display against William & Mary, Sophia Tougas picked up right where she left off and drained a shot from distance in the opening 11 seconds. Taylor Barbot finished through contact before Jami Hill got to the cup and sank her layup to cap off the run.
Four straight points from the Seawolves didn’t faze the Cougars, who closed out the quarter with a 25-8 lead. A quartet of Charleston players scored at least five points in the frame, with both Barbot sisters scoring six apiece.
The Cougars continued the momentum into the second quarter and built a commanding 43-17 advantage at halftime. By the fourth quarter, the Cougars had accrued their largest lead of the game at 35 and were able to rest a handful of key contributors for the remainder of the contest.