College of Charleston swats down Western Carolina 57-56

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Jarrell Brantley and James Bourne stepped up with key blocked shots in the final seconds to preserve College of Charleston’s 57-56 victory over Western Carolina on Friday.

Brantley scored a career-high 17 points and blocked a 3-point try by Deriece Parks with five seconds left. Western Carolina grabbed the rebound but Bourne kept Torrion Brummit, who led the Catamounts (2-3) with 18 points, from getting off a clean shot — the potential game-winner — as time expired. It was Bourne’s only block of the game. Brantley had three.

It was the first meeting between the two teams since Charleston (3-2) left the Southern Conference for the Colonial Athletic Association after the 2012-13 season.

Canyon Barry scored 13 points and Marquise Pointer added 12 for Charleston. Pointer hit two 3-pointers in the final minutes to pull the Cougars back into contention and made the second of two free throws for the lead with 11 seconds left.