Coastal Holds Off NCCU, 68-65
CONWAY - For the second straight game the Coastal Carolina women's basketball team saw a late lead slip away, but still managed to come away with a victory as the Chants held on to defeat North Carolina Central, 68-65, Friday night at the HTC Center.
Coastal's (5-4) eight point lead with 1:30 remaining in regulation was cut to a single point with 40 seconds left on the clock, and once again with 20 seconds to go. DJ Williams knocked down a pair of free throws with 13 seconds remaining, and the Chanticleer defense did not allow NCCU (2-5) a quality shot to tie the game as time expired.
The final free throws capped a 21-point night for Williams, who led all players in scoring while shooting 8-of-14 from the field and 5-of-7 from the line. Williams also had game highs in rebounds and assists, finishing with eight each and setting a career high in the latter category.
Naheria Hamilton and Jas Adams rounded out Coastal's double-digit scorers with 17 and 16 points, respectively. Breelyn Blanding led all players with four steals while dishing out three assists.
Rodneysha Martin handled the bulk of NCCU's scoring while putting up 20 points. Jada Blow finished with 12 points for the Eagles.
Coastal shot 54 percent from the field for the game, including 71 percent (10-14) in the first quarter while taking an early 26-12 lead. Adams recorded nine of her 16 points in the opening frame, followed closely by Williams' eight.
The Chants' shooting cooled off in the second quarter, returning to its season average of 38 percent. NCCU outscored Coastal by nine in the second, taking advantage of six CCU turnovers and converting them into eight points. Coastal held Martin scoreless in the frame, but Deja McCain and Dominique Adams each contributed five points for the Eagles.
Coastal led 36-31 at halftime, but struggled to maintain that lead as Martin went off for 14 points in the second half.
NCCU scored nine unanswered points over a two-and-a-half minute span during the third quarter to give the Eagles a three-point lead. Martin accounted for all but one of those nine points. Williams responded with three points of her own to tie the game, and the score was evened twice more before the quarter came to an end. Adams swung the lead back to Coastal heading into the fourth as the second of two free throws gave the Chants a 52-51 advantage.
Coastal remained in front for the game's final 10 minutes, despite the late push by NCCU. The Chants scored the quarter's first six points to lead by seven, and later used a 6-3 run to reach their eight-point lead with 1:30 remaining. Hamilton had six points for Coastal in the final frame, followed by four each from Williams and Blanding.
NCCU closed the game shooting 39 percent from the field but held a 34-29 advantage in rebounds, including 17 offensive rebounds that led to 18 second-chance points. Coastal dominated in the paint, outscoring the Eagles 36-14.
Coastal has over a week off before its next contest. The Chants take on Syracuse on Dec. 17 at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center as part of the Philanthropist.com Carolinas Challenge. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
Cajuns Lose 70-60 To Auburn
LAFAYETTE – Despite a career-high 17 points from sophomore Malachi-Seraphin Williams, the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns women's basketball team ran out of steam down the stretch, losing 70-60 to the Auburn Tigers here at the Cajundome.
The loss drops the Cajuns record to 3-6 while the win improves the Tigers record to 6-3 and it's the first loss for Louisiana in the month of December.
Seraphin-Williams finished a solid 7 for 13 from the field, which gave her a 54 percent shooting percentage and she made most of her points from beyond the arc starting the game 3 for 3 from three-point range.
Senior Kendra Howard finished with 12 points, after only playing 17 minutes and fellow senior Nekia Jones added nine points and four rebounds. Sophomore Kimberly Burton led the Cajuns on the boards with five rebounds and she added five points to the mix.
HOW IT HAPPENED (First Quarter): Auburn came out and jumped on the Cajuns defensively attempting to upset Louisiana as they were pressing hard, but the Cajuns worked the ball well across half court and weren't flustered by the Tigers press.
They were led in the quarter by the hot shooting of Seraphin-Williams who scored the Cajuns first two points of the quarter, on two three point shots, on her way to a perfect 3 for 3 shooting from three-point range.
As the quarter came to an end, both teams traded baskets but a great move over two Tigers' defenders in the paint, with 2 seconds left, from sophomore Brittney Myles gave the Cajuns a three-point lead at the end of the quarter with the score sitting at 19-16 in favor of the Cajuns.
HOW IT HAPPENED (Second Quarter): Auburn came out on a 15-4 run to start the quarter to jump ahead of the Cajuns by a game high eight points, with the score sitting at 29-21 in favor of the Tigers when the clock passed the four-minute mark.
But Louisiana wouldn't let the Tigers just run away with the game, and they turned on the defense and made it hard for Auburn to get anything going offensively. For the final 2:50 of the half the Tigers only made one basket from the field while the Cajuns shot 2 for 3 down the stretch powered by a three-point basket by Jones.
As the half came to an end Howard was fouled taking a three-point shot that put her to the line where she made two of three attempts, and after a layup by Auburn as the clock ticked below five seconds the score sat at 34-30 with the Cajuns down by just four points at the half.
HOW IT HAPPENED (Third Quarter): In the third quarter the Cajuns defense again showed up as after the Tigers scored the first basket of the quarter at the 9:22 mark, they were held scoreless for almost five minutes through the midway portion of the quarter.
During that stretch the Cajuns twice got within one point of the Tigers, with the score sitting at 36-35 at the 5:37 mark, and after a quick Auburn 4-0 run, back-to-back baskets from Seraphin-Williams brought it within one yet again, with the score at 40-39.
But Louisiana wouldn't get that close again for the remainder of not only the quarter but the game as the Tigers finished the quarter on a 6-3 run, to hold a four-point lead heading into the final quarter with the score sitting at 46-42.
HOW IT HAPPENED (Fourth Quarter): Louisiana's Howard came out on fire looking to keep the Cajuns in the game, as she nailed a jumper and a three-point shot to get the Cajuns within two, but that would be the closest they would get and that all happened in the first 1:30 of the quarter.
Auburn opened-up the game with a 9-2 run, starting at 8:27 and they stretched their run to the 5:26 mark of the quarter. It extended their lead to nine points and it was a mountain that Louisiana couldn't climb as from there on any basket from the Cajuns was countered by at least two baskets from the Tigers.
As the game came to an end, Auburn nailed their free throws and finished off the Cajuns as the final score sat 70-60 in favor of the Tigers as they escaped the Cajundome with a win after getting the Cajuns best shot.
NOTEWORTHY: It's fifth time in the last seven games that Burton has led the Cajuns in rebounding; It's Howard's second straight game with at least double digits in scoring; Louisiana came out on fire shooting 68 percent from three-point range in the first quarter; It's the second straight game the Cajuns have outscored their opponent from the bench having outscored the Tigers' bench tonight 21-17.
NEXT UP FOR THE CAJUNS: Louisiana hits the road next week for a match up down the road in Hammond, La., against the Southeastern Louisiana Lady Lions on Wednesday, Dec. 13 with tip scheduled for 7 p.m.
The game will be broadcast on ESPN 1420, with Steve Peloquin handling the play-by-play duties. As for the streaming of the game, it'll be carried on the Southeastern Channel which is a part of the Southland Digital Network.