CONWAY, S.C. (AP) – Badou Diagne scored 19 points and third-seeded Coastal Carolina beat seventh-seeded Gardner-Webb 73-70 on Saturday to reach the Big South Conference championship game.
The Chanticleers (23-9) will meet fifth-seeded Winthrop on Sunday in a repeat of last year’s title-game matchup won by Coastal Carolina.
Leading by three with 24 seconds left, the Chanticleers’ Warren Gillis made four free throws and Elijah Wilson one to offset a 3-pointer and layup by Tyler Strange. The Bulldogs (19-14) had two good looks at 3-pointers in the final seconds but missed both.
Wilson scored 13 points and Tristian Curtis 11 for Coastal Carolina.
Jerome Hill had 17 points, Tyrell Nelson 15, Strange 14 and Adonis Burbage 11 for Gardner-Webb, which had swept the season series from CCU.
CCU, which led from the opening minute, shot 50.9 percent and had a 41-28 rebounding advantage. The Bulldogs stayed close by making 22 of 30 free throws.
