CONWAY – Both teams had chances to win the game at the free throw line with under a second left and the game tied. Coastal Carolina had the first chances but missed two from the line with five-tenths of a second left. After a foul on the rebound attempt, the College of Charleston’s Deja Ford made two free throws with three-tenths left to secure a 72-70 win over the Chanticleers.
The loss spoiled career games by Chanticleers DJ Williams (27 points) and Naheria Hamilton (17 points). The Cougars’ Tanisha Brown, a Myrtle Beach product, also had a career high with 25 points. Schiclasia Brown added 21 points, making 11-of-13 at the free throw line.
With the game tied and 23 seconds left in the game, the Cougars (2-5) got two shots at winning before getting an offensive rebound and calling a timeout. However, CCU’s Williams came up with a steal after the timeout and was fouled with five-tenths of a second left. She missed both free throws and was called for a foul trying to get the rebound with three-tenths of a second left. Ford made both for the 72-70 lead. Coastal (3-4) had one last desperation chance, but came up empty.
Williams played all 40 minutes and finished with 27 points – with her previous high being 22 earlier this season versus Lees-McRae . Hamilton recorded a double-double, with her 17 points and 10 rebounds. She also scored 17 points last season versus the Cougars.
Coastal started the game slow as Cougars reeled off seven straight points to start the game, which was also the largest lead in the game by either team. CCU worked its way back, tying the game at 7-7 after a Mery Visone 3-pointer, and took its first lead, 13-12 with 3:12 left in the first quarter on a layup by Hamilton. The lead bounced back and forth the rest of the period. Then, with five-tenths of a second left, CofC’s Brown made two free throws to put her squad up one, 21-20 through the first 10 minutes.
The Cougars rode that momentum early in the second quarter, but Coastal kept the game close. The Chants got a jumper by D.J. Williams to cut the CCU to one, 31-30 with 5:49 left. Coastal then grabbed a two-point lead, 33-31, when Jas Adams hit Breelyn Blanding in the corner for a 3-point basket. The Chants pushed its lead to five, 40-35, with 2:49 left on a Hamilton put-back. Coastal survived a pair of 3’s from the College and neither team scored over the final 1:12 to give Coastal a 42-41 lead at the break. Hamilton was 7-of-8 shooting and scored 14 points while adding five rebounds.
Early in the third quarter, the Cougars went on an 8-0 run and turned a three-point deficit into a five point lead, 51-46, with 6:30 left in the period. The Cougars held a six-point advantage for the second half of the third quarter until the Chants got fast-break layups from Adams and Williams to make it a two-point game, 60-58, in CofC’s favor as the quarter came to an end.
Midway through the fourth quarter and the game tied, Williams went on a 5-0 run, making a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws, to give the Chants a 66-61 lead. However, the Chants only scored three points over the next three minutes to allow the Cougars to tie the game, 69-69, with 2:51 left. With 40 seconds left, the College of Charleston made 1-of-2 free throws. Coastal answered as Hamilton was 1-for-2 at the charity stripe to tie the game with 23 ticks left.
Coastal Carolina will return to action next Monday (Dec. 4) by hosting Fort Wayne at 6 pm.
Courtesy: CCU Athletics