SPARTANBURG, SC (WBTW) – Sophomore Aja Blount scored a career-high 30 points to lead the Coastal Carolina women’s basketball team to a come-from-behind 78-73 road win over in-state foe Wofford on Sunday afternoon in Spartanburg, S.C. The win improved the Chanticleers record to 3-0 while the Terriers fell to 0-4 with the loss.
Blount got scoring help from senior guard DJ Williams who finished with 21 points and junior transfer Zacharyia Esmon who added 11 points. Williams aided on the defensive end by grabbing seven steals and blocking a Terrier shot.
Wofford had four players finish with double figures in scoring. Chloe Wanink led all Terrier scorers with 18 points while Jamari McDavid, Cairo Booker, and Lawren Cook each finished with 10 points.
The Chanticleer defense held Wanink to seven points in the final two periods to keep the contest within striking distance.
Early in the second quarter with Wofford gaining momentum and a nine-point lead, Esmon came off the bench to hit back-to-back three pointers to keep Coastal within striking distance and slow down the Terriers’ offensive attack. Blount and Esmon hit for nine points each in the second quarter to pull CCU within one at 35-34 at the break.
In the final period, Blount totaled 15 points by going 5-of-7 from the floor and made all five of her free-throw attempts. Senior guard Caitlin Roche gave the Chants their first lead since the first quarter when she hit a three-pointer for a 68-66 lead with 5:10 remaining on the clock.
Wofford would even the contest twice more before junior forward Janae Camp would give Coastal the lead for good on a layup with 1:22 remaining to play.
The Terriers would hit one free-throw in the final minute before Blount would convert a layup and close it out with two more from the charity stripe for the final score of 78-73.
Coastal Carolina returns to action on Sunday, Nov. 24, as it will travel to Cullowhee, N.C. to take on the Western Carolina Catamounts at the Ramsey Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Courtesy: Coastal Carolina Athletics
