Men's Basketball falls in OT to Wofford, finishes fourth in Classic

Freshman Jonathan Arledge going in for the layup in the victory against Harvard to begin the 2010-11 season. He has been an important contributor off the bench for the Patriots this season. (Ezekiel Ibrahim-Watkins)

After beginning the season with a 2-0 record with victories over Harvard and Charlotte, Jim Larranaga and company suffered back-to-back defeats at the hands of N.C. State and Wofford to drop to 2-2.

The Patriots knocked off Charlotte in the opening round of the ESPN Charleston Classic Thursday night with an impressive 78-56 margin. However, they were forced to face a tough ACC foe, the N.C. State Wolfpack, in the second round of the tournament. The Patriots hung close most of the game and even lead 59-57 during the second half, but fell off late to lose 78-65.

“We should have been a little more patient,” Larranaga said following the second-round loss. “We should have been working the ball around a little bit more, instead we rushed.”

The squad returned to action Sunday with a chance to finish third, but Wofford, the defending Southern Conference Champions, had other plans. Despite owning a seven-point halftime lead, the Patriots fell 82-79 in overtime.

Sophomore Luke Hancock led the way for the Patriots in Charleston. After achieving a career-high against Charlotte with 18 points, he scored 11 against N.C. State and 17 against Wofford. Senior Cam Long also had a solid tournament, putting up double figures in each contest, including a team-leading 16-point performance against the Wolfpack.

The Patriots will look to rebound Wednesday night as they return home to face Radford (2-1). This is the first of a five-game homestand, which is highlighted by the rivalry matchup against George Washington Dec. 1.