CONWAY – Jas Adams scored a career high 40 points to lead the Coastal Carolina women’s basketball team to an 84-71 victory over Troy on Thursday at the HTC Center.
Coastal improves to 13-12, 7-7 with the victory, and snapped a six-game winning streak for Troy, which falls to 13-11, 8-5.
Adams became just the second Chanticleer in CCU women’s basketball history to score 40 points in a game, and fell just five points short of tying Andrea Singleton (1985-86) for the program’s single-game record of 45 points. Adams did however set the HTC Center single-game scoring record as she surpassed the previous record of 36 points scored by AJ Jordan in 2014-15.
Adams finished the night 9-of-18 from the field with six 3-pointers, and 16-of-21 at the free-throw line. After scoring just one point in the opening quarter, Adams tallied 18 points in the second. She then added 11 points in the third, and 10 in the fourth. Adams also pulled in a team-leading 11 rebounds for her second double-double of the season.
Naheria Hamilton also had a double-double, bringing her season total to seven. The sophomore center scored a career-high 18 points while hauling in 12 boards.
The Chants had previously defeated the Trojans this season on Jan. 20, making Troy the second Sun Belt school that Coastal has swept during regular season play. Coastal also won both of its regular season matchups against Appalachian State last season.
Coastal held game advantages in both field goal shooting percentage (42) and rebounds (51). The Chants also shot 71 percent at the free-throw line, converting 28 of 39 chances.
Troy received 20 points from Jasmine Sanders and 15 from Sky’Lynn Holmes. Kayla Robinson, the Sun Belt Player of the Week for the last three consecutive weeks, was held to seven points.
The first quarter included five ties and five lead changes, and ended in an 18-18 tie as the two sides matched each other basket for basket. The Chants made seven field goals, two 3-pointers and two free throws, while the Trojans countered with eight field goals, including two 3-pointers. Hamilton and Rivers led their respective teams with seven points each.
The Chants began pulling away from the Trojans in the second quarter thanks to a pair of large runs and 18 points by Adams. The senior scored Coastal’s first seven points of the quarter, including the first five of a 7-0 CCU run that put the Chants in front, 27-23. Troy managed to tie the game twice more before Coastal scored 10 unanswered points in the final two minutes of the half to take a 41-31 lead. Blanding had the first two points in the run before Adams scored the final eight, bringing her halftime total to 19 points.
The Chants remained in front of the Trojans for the entirety of third quarter as Adams added another 11 points, giving her 30 points after 30 minutes of play. Coastal led by as many as 13 points in the frame following a 10-2 run. Troy responded by scoring 10 straight points, but still trailed by eight going into the fourth quarter.
Adams tacked on 10 more points in the final quarter as the Chants enjoyed a double-digit lead for all but 45 seconds of the frame.
The Chants are back in action at the HTC Center on Saturday hosting South Alabama at 1 p.m. It is also senior day, with the ceremony taking place prior to tip-off.
