College of Charleston Routs Southern Wesleyan 111-55
The Cougars opened their season with a lopsided win at TD Arena behind a strong defensive effort that forced 22 turnovers.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Basketball
College of Charleston defeated Southern Wesleyan 111-55 on Nov. 2 at TD Arena in front of 4,377 fans. Eli Ellis led the Cougars with 16 points and Xavier Abreu added 14 as four players finished in double figures.
Why it matters
The opening-night rout gives the Cougars an early statement of depth, with 14 different players recording at least one basket. The defensive pressure that produced 22 forced turnovers set a tone the team will look to carry into its next games.
The Cougars made nearly 58 percent of their field goals and 10 of 35 three-pointers (28.6 percent), while turning 22 Southern Wesleyan turnovers into 37 points. The stub does not indicate how these shooting and defensive rates compare with prior seasons or conference averages.
The players
College of Charleston
A public university in Charleston, South Carolina, whose men's basketball program competes in NCAA Division I.
Connor Groce
The son of head coach John Groce, who scored 11 points in his College of Charleston debut.
The details
Southern Wesleyan's offense was disrupted by deflections that produced steals and easy baskets for College of Charleston, which went on runs of 13-2, 11-0 and 15-0 in the first half. The Cougars finished with 27 assists against nine turnovers.
Timeline
Nov. 2: College of Charleston defeats Southern Wesleyan 111-55 at TD Arena.
Monday night: Connor Groce scores a career-high 11 points in his debut.
Season Trajectory
Opening-week Division I results like this one often serve as early reads on roster depth and defensive identity before conference play begins. College of Charleston's balanced scoring and 22 forced turnovers suggest the team is trying to build that profile heading into its Nov. 6 home game against Newberry.
Fantasy managers tracking Eli Ellis and Xavier Abreu will see both starting the season with double-digit scoring totals. The Newberry game on Nov. 6 offers the next chance to see whether the Cougars' rotation depth holds.
The takeaway
Balanced scoring and aggressive defense gave the Cougars a strong opening night, and the next test comes Nov. 6 against Newberry. Readers following the program can track how those patterns hold once the schedule gets tougher.
What happens next
College of Charleston faces Newberry at TD Arena on Nov. 6 at 7 p.m.
Further reading
For more on the team's season, see Charleston Basketball coverage.
