NEW ORLEANS, La. – The Coastal Carolina women’s basketball team suffered a 78-42 loss to No. 5 Appalachian State in Wednesday’s second round game of the Sun Belt Women’s Basketball Championship at Lakefront Arena.
Coastal closes its season with a 17-14 overall record for the second straight year.
Appalachian State got out to a quick start, making its first seven shots from the floor and taking a double-digit lead less than four minutes into the game. The Mountaineers continued to add to their advantage throughout the game, leading by as many as 37 points in the second half.
App’s shooters remained hot throughout the afternoon, closing the game 34-69 (49 percent) from the floor. Four Mountaineers finished the game in double figures, including Ashley Polacek and Madi Story scoring 18 points each. Pre Stanley added 15 points and Tierra Wilson scored 10.
Coastal, playing in its fourth game in seven days, struggled to find its shooting touch, and finished the game just 27 percent from the floor and 54 percent at the free throw line. DJ Williams and Alise Davis were the Chants’ leading scorers with eight points apiece.
Following App’s hot start to the game, Coastal seemed to gain momentum at the end of the first quarter with a 7-2 run. That momentum failed to carry over into the second quarter, however, as App outscored Coastal 17-4 over the 10-minute frame to carry a 24-point lead into halftime.
Despite a 5-1 record against Appalachian State in regular season games since joining the Sun Belt, Coastal now moves to 0-2 against the Mountaineers in Sun Belt tournament games. The Chants also lost to Appalachian State in the first round of the 2017 Sun Belt Championship.
