TROY, Ala. – Trailing by 14 points at halftime, Coastal Carolina went on a second half run that saw the Chanticleers come back for a 74-73 win at Troy.
Zac Cuthbertson led the comeback with 15 second-half points and he finished tying for game-high honors with 21 points.
Jaylen Shaw, playing in foul trouble for a big part of the game, finished with 13 points, but made the biggest play of the game when he came up with a steal with two seconds securing the lead and victory for the Chants.
The game was close early and late, but in between Troy (8-11, 2-4 SBC) led by as many as 15 points (40-25) with 2:38 left in the first half. The two teams were tied seven times over the course of the game and the game was tied 14 times.
Demario Beck’s basket with 9:12 left in the game gave CCU its first lead of the second half at 60-59. It was the final basket of a 14-0 run that brought CCU back from a 59-46 deficit.
After Beck’s basket, the two teams went back-and-forth, but a layup from B.J. Miller gave the home-standing Trojans a 68-65 lead with 5:54 left.
Again the Chants responded, scoring seven of the game’s next eight points to take a 72-69 lead with 3:05 left. Following a Troy timeout the Trojans canned a three from Kevin Baker to tie the game at 72, but Amidou Bamba’s tip gave CCU a 74-72 lead with 1:53 left. It would be the final points for CCU and Troy added a free throw to cut the lead to one, but that would be all of the scoring.
CCU shot 50 percent in the second half from the field and hit five of its six three point field goals in the second half. The Chants finished the game shooting 44 percent from the field and 57 percent (8-14) on its three point field goals. While CCU hit 16 of its 24 free throws (67%), they only hit 10-of-17 in the second half.
Jordon Varnado scored 21 points for Troy, tying Cuthbertson for game-high honors. Juan Davis came off the bench to score 14 and Kevin Baker scored 11.
A big defensive effort by several Chants on the league’s top three-point scorer Wesley Person who was held scoreless in the second half and finished the game with nine points. More than half of his season average.
Demario Beck finished the game with nine points, but led the game with 10 big rebounds and it was his blocked shot and rebound late, that held CCU’s one point lead.
Shaw had a game-high six assists to go with his point total. Bamba joined Beck coming off the bench and had six points, but his nine rebounds turned out to be big as CCU out rebounded Tory 48-30.
CCU continually went into the paint and scored 32 points in the paint and with 17 offensive rebounds, were able to score 18 second-chance points. CCU’s bench also outscored Troy’s 20-17.
With the win, CCU (8-13, 2-6 SBC) stopped its six-game losing streak.
Troy hit eight three point field goals in the opening 20 minutes on its way to a 43-29 halftime lead.
Person and Davis hit three each to score nine first half points, but Varnado was the Trojans leading scorer with 12.
Troy shot 43 percent from the field and 42 percent on its threes. Troy made it count once they got to the free throw line hitting five-of-six.
Cuthbertson and Coleman led CCU’s offensive efforts with six points each and Shaw had five.
The Chants only shot 37 percent from the field and hit 39 percent of its threes. CCU hit six of its seven free throws and out rebounded Troy 21-18.
The Chanticleers will be back home for its next two conference games. The first outing will be Thursday Jan. 25 against Arkansas State at 7:30 p.m. CCU will then host Little Rock Saturday Jan. 27 at 3:30 p.m.