Conway, S.C. – Senior forward Zac Cuthbertson scored 18 points to lead six Coastal Carolina players in double figures as the Chanticleers raced to an easy to a 91-47 win over Ferrum College in its season opener at the HTC Center.
A pre-season All-Sun Belt pick, Cuthbertson made 7-10 shots that included two powerful dunks and grabbed 7 rebounds before sitting out the final 10 minutes of action.
Freshmen standout guards David Pierce and DeVante Jones added 12 and 10 points respectively, while returnees Tommy Burton had 11, and Amidu Bamba and Tyrell Gumbs-Frater had 10 apiece.
“Our energy level was there, and I think our press made a difference,” said head coach Cliff Ellis, who got a chance to play all 12 players on his team. “Overall it was a very good effort and I think our new guys got a lot of good experience.”
Ferrum, which plays in NCAA Division III, was led by Trey Barnhardt, who had 17 points, including a perfect 5-5 in 3-pointers. Rashad Reed was the only other Ferrum player in double figures, with 14.
The Chanticleers showed muscle with more than half of their points coming inside, and that led to a tidy 52 percent shooting (32-61) for the game. Coastal also had a 39-24 rebounding edge and built its biggest lead of 43 points in the closing minutes of the game.
After trading baskets in the early-going, Coastal kicked it into high gear with a 21-0 run to take a commanding 30-point lead at 49-19 with 3:30 left in the first half as Coastal held Ferrum scoreless for 7:38. Pierce had three consecutive 3-pointers in the run and 11 points in the half. Meanwhile, Cuthbertson already had 10 points and 6 rebounds at the half.
Coastal will now hit the road for five away games before returning to the HTC Center on Nov. 20 again Methodist.
