CONWAY, S.C. – Senior standout DJ Williams scored a game-high 24 points and took control in the final quarter to lead Coastal Carolina to its 10th consecutive win, an 83-74 decision over Louisiana in a Sun Belt Conference game Saturday afternoon at the HTC Center.

The win puts Coastal at 25-3 overall and 15-2 in the conference, assuring CCU of reaching the semifinals in the upcoming Sun Belt Conference Women’s Basketball Championship Tournament, March 14 in New Orleans, La. 

Sophomore Brandi Williams scored 19 points to lead Louisiana, which dipped to 16-11 overall and 9-7 in the league with the defeat.

Williams scored nine points in the last quarter to rally the Chanticleers from a one-point deficit at 61-60 after three quarters. Her two free throws to open the final period put the Chanticleers in front to stay. And in the end, Williams and sophomore forward Aja Blount hit five consecutive free throws in the final minute to close the door.

Williams, who also had a career-high 14 assists, got scoring help from senior center Naheria Hamilton, who had 20 points to go along with nine rebounds. Blount had 13 points while senior point guard Torrie Cash added 12 points.

It was Williams’ fifth consecutive game with a double-double and the 13th-straight time this season that the Chanticleers have had a player with the accomplishment. The win also improved the Chanticleers’ home mark to 8-0 in conference action.

Coastal seemed to have the game under control when senior guard Caitlin Roche hit from the left baseline to make it a 15-point lead at 50-35 early in the third quarter. But the Ragin’ Cajuns stormed back with a 20-2 run to take a short-lived lead at 58-54 with less than two minutes left in the third quarter. Three minutes later, Coastal moved back in front to stay.

“We’ve been in close games before,” said Williams, who willed her team back into the lead with three buckets and another three assists on the Coastal’s first seven baskets of the final quarter.  “They had their run and now it was our turn.”

Williams carried most of the load in the final minutes, but Hamilton and junior guard Kaylin West chipped in with four points apiece as five different players scored in the last nine minutes of action.

Coastal jumped out to an early nine-point lead at 22-13, only to have Louisiana rally and go ahead at 31-30 midway through the second quarter. From there, however, Williams led the Chanticleers on a 16-2 run to end the first half.

The California native, got things started with a driving layup and then assisted on four other layups from the CCU frontline of Janae Camp and Blount, to give her team its largest lead of 13 points at the break, 46-33. Hamilton and Williams already had double figures through 20 minutes of action with 14 and 10 points, respectively.

Coastal enjoyed one of its best shooting efforts, hitting on 50 percent or better for the second game in a row. Overall, they were 32-of-64 from the field with assists on 21 of those 32 buckets. The 6’4” Hamilton used her height advantage inside to hit 9-of-15 attempts.

The Chanticleers also had the rebounding edge at 42-30. Camp led the team with 10 boards while Hamilton grabbed nine rebounds with Blount and Williams hauling in eight apiece.

The Chanticleers conclude the regular season next Saturday (Mach 7) against Appalachian State at the HTC Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET.

Courtesy – Coastal Carolina Athletics