Coker Hosts Carson-Newman in Make-A-Wish Game

Coker Hosts Carson-Newman in Make-A-Wish Game

HARTSVILLE, S.C. – The Coker College men's basketball team will take on the visiting Carson-Newman University Eagles on Saturday (Jan. 27) for the Make-A-Wish Game. Opening tip is set for 4 p.m. Live stats and video will be available at www.cokercobras.com

The Cobras will honor Lily Tarasiewicz before the women's game and Aidyn Prescott before the men's game. Both Tarasiewicz and Prescott will be introduced as the sixth man of the Cobras starting lineup. 

Tarasiewicz is a survivor of Hodgkin's Lymphoma, while Prescott battles a disease called Fibrodysplasia Ossifican Progressive, known as FOP. One of the rarest, most disabling genetic conditions known to medicine, FOP causes bone to form in muscles, tendons, ligaments and other connective tissues. Bridges of extra bone develop across joints, progressively restricting movement and forming a second skeleton that imprisons the body in bone. There are no other known examples in medicine of one normal organ system turning into another. 

The Navy and Gold head into tomorrow's game with three players averaging double-digit figures in points per game. Donte Samuels leads Coker averaging 15.7 points per game and has dished out a team-best 2.4 assists per game. Halls is Coker's second leading scorer, accumulating 14.2 per game, while Barrett is the final Cobra averaging double-digit numbers with 13.3 per game. 

On the defensive end, Samuels has led the Cobras with a team-leading 7.4 rebounds per game and 1.6 steals per game. Samuels rebound average is good for fifth in the SAC. Barrett has assisted the Cobras on the defensive end as well, adding 1.6 steals per game to tie Samuels with the team's best mark in the category.

Carson-Newman enters tomorrow's contest with a 16-4 overall record that includes an 8-4 mark in SAC action. Charles Clark leads the Eagles offensively, averaging 21.5 points per game, the best mark in the conference. 

As mentioned, opening tip is set for 4 p.m. Tickets for the game are $5 for adults, $3 for students, and free to all Coker faculty, staff, and students.