Game 9

Coastal Carolina (6-2) vs. Coker (2-3)

Date: Tuesday, Jan. 3

Time: 5 p.m.

Place: Kimbel Arena, Conway, S.C.

Series: Coastal leads 30-0

TV/Radio: THE TEAM 93.9 FM (John Martin)

Live Stats: www.GoCCUSports.com

Lady Chants Host Coker to Continue Homestand

The Coastal Carolina University women’s basketball team (6-2) will get back on the court less than 24 hours after a 78-42 win over Savannah State when it faces Coker (2-3) Tuesday, Jan. 3, at 5 p.m. The game can be heard on THE TEAM 93.9 FM with the pregame show starting at 4:50 p.m. Coastal is playing on back-to-back days for the first time since Dec. 29-30, 2004, when it played in the University of South Carolina Tournament.

Scouting Coker

The Cobras, on the other hand, have not played since a 67-60 loss to Lees-McRae on Dec. 3. Coker has wins over Converse, a future Coastal opponent, and Limestone this season. Rachael Kolbeck leads the Cobras, averaging 13 points and 5.6 rebounds a game. Conway native Temeca Spain is averaging 8.2 points and 8.8 rebounds a contest.

The Cobras are coached by Carol Meegan, who is in her first year on the Hartsville campus. She has a 70-99 career record in six-plus seasons.

Series vs. Coker

Coastal has won all 30 games in the season series with Coker. Last season, the Lady Chants received a career high in scoring from Kim Turner (West Memphis, Ark./Hiwassee C.C.) as CCU defeated the Cobras 79-41. Turner had 26 points on 10-of-12 shooting and had six rebounds in the win.

Turner Named Big South Co-Player of the Week

Coastal Carolina University women’s basketball senior Kim Turner (West Memphis, Ark./Hiwassee C.C.) has been named the Big South Conference Choice Hotels Co-Player of the Week for the week ending Jan.1, the conference office announced. Turner shares the honor with High Point University’s Katie Ralls. She averaged 14.5 points per game over the Christmas break, leading the Lady Chanticleers to a 2-0 record. Turner earns Coastal’s first Player of the Week honor since Nikki Reddick was named Player of the Week Dec. 1, 2003.

CCU Making Good on Half Against the Tigers

Coastal shot 50 percent from the field in the win over Savannah State Jan. 2. Coastal went 31-of-62 from the floor, which included a 5-of-6 performance from senior Kim Turner (West Memphis, Ark./Hiwassee C.C.). Coastal shot 50 percent or higher for the first time since the Coker game Jan. 5, 2005.

Ware Sets Career Highs in SSU Win

Sophomore C.J. Ware (Decatur, Ga./Lakeside) had career highs of six rebounds and seven assists in the 78-42 win over Savannah State Jan. 2. Ware added three steals and three points in 23 minutes.

CCU Bench Solid in Greensboro Win

The Lady Chants bench scored 19 points and helped in a 16-0 run to end the first half in a 68-54 win over UNC Greensboro Dec. 31. CCU has four players with two fouls in the first half, but the Chants held the Spartans scoreless for the last 6:01. Senior Jasmine Tyler (Jacksonville, Fla./Okaloosa C.C.) and sophomore Joanna Pekonen (Lappeenranta, Finland/Lafayette) both had five first-half points, while senior Demaria Young (Memphis, Tenn./Walters State C.C.) hit a three at the first-half buzzer that gave CCU the 16-point lead.

Coastal Off to Best Start Since 1999-2000 Season

The Lady Chants 6-2 start is the best by a Coastal team since the 1999-2000 season. That team started with a 6-2 record before finishing with a 20-10 mark. The best start by a CCU squad was in the 1982-83 season. That team started 9-2 and ended the season with a 21-9 record.

Coastal Goes Unbeaten vs. SoCon

Coastal ends its contests against the Southern Conference with a 3-0 record after the 68-54 win over UNC Greensboro Dec. 31. Coastal also had wins over Furman (71-67) Dec. 3 and College of Charleston (58-51) Dec. 20. In the last three seasons, Coastal is 6-3 against Southern Conference opponents.

Scoring Runs Help Coastal Defeat CofC

A 12-4 run in the last 5:37 of the first half and a 13-2 run to open the second half helped Coastal defeat the College of Charleston 58-51 Dec. 20. The combined 25-6 run was fueled by eight points from senior Amber Rose (Bloomington Springs, Tenn./Upperman) and seven from junior Calisha Yates (Columbus, Ind./Chattanooga State C.C.).

Newcomers to Three-Point Land

A pair of Lady Chants hit their first career three-pointer in the last two games. Senior Kim Turner (West Memphis, Ark./Hiwassee C.C.) attempted her first three-pointer in 376 career shots and made it in a 98-41 loss to North Carolina Dec. 17. Junior Vanessa Laug (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills) hit her first three-pointer in the first half of a 58-51 win over the College of Charleston.

Early Trends

A halftime lead has been crucial for Coastal. The Lady Chants are 6-0 with a halftime lead, 0-2 when trailing at the break... Coastal also is 5-0 when outrebounding its opponent, like they did in a 78-42 win over Savannah State. CCU outrebounded the Tigers 48-34 in the win... Coastal has held its opponents to under 70 points in all six of its win.

Laug Makes Return for CCU

Junior Vanessa Laug (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills) made her season debut in a 98-41 loss to North Carolina Dec. 17. Laug has missed Coastal’s first four games due to a knee injury and gives Coastal 12 players who will be available for game action. She grabbed three rebounds against the Tar Heels.

Coastal Has Rebounding Edge vs. Furman

For a team that doesn’t start a player over 6’0", Coastal sure gets its share of rebounds. The Lady Chants outrebounded Furman 36-31 Dec. 3 in a 71-67 victory and Calisha Yates (Columbus, Ind./Chattanooga State C.C.) and Kim Turner (West Memphis, Ark./Hiwassee C.C.) had nine and eight rebounds, respectively. Coastal also ended the game with 23 offensive caroms.

Chants Come Through in the Clutch

The Lady Chants hit 9-of-10 from the free-throw line in the last five minutes of its 71-67 win over Furman Dec. 3. Junior Alisha Dill (Johnson City, Tenn./Science Hill) was a perfect 6-of-6 from the line, while Demaria Young (Memphis, Tenn./Walters State C.C.) and Amber Rose (Bloomington Springs, Tenn./Upperman) each hit two key free throws. Kim Turner (West Memphis, Ark./Hiwassee C.C.) went 1-for-2 with 11 seconds left, but her one make put Coastal up by five (69-64). Coastal is now 15-of-16 from the line in the last five minutes with a 10 point or less scoring margin.

Yates Has Impressive Beginning

Junior Calisha Yates (Columbus, Ind./Chattanooga State C.C.) has started her Coastal career with some strong performances. The Chattanooga State C.C. transfer went for 15 points and nine reboudns in the 71-67 win over Furman. Yates leads the team with a 12.1 scoring average per game and has scored in double figures in six of Coastal’s first seven games.

A Tale of Two Halves

In Coastal’s 75-51 loss to UNC Wilmington Nov. 29, the Lady Chants had a tale of two halves. In the first half, CCU shot 50 percent from the field, went 4-of-9 from three-point range and had seven steals to the Seahawks’ four. Junior Calisha Yates (Columbus, Ind./Chattanooga State C.C.) had 12 first-half points on 5-of-8 shooting. However, Coastal shot only 23.5 percent in the second half, was outscored 43-22, went only 2-of-9 from three-point range and allowed 26 points in the paint by UNCW.

Rose Earns Career Highs vs. UNCW

Senior Amber Rose (Bloomington Springs, Tenn./Upperman) set one career high and tied another against UNC Wilmington Nov. 29. The guard had a career high seven rebounds in the 75-51 loss. Her former career high was six at Elon Feb. 9, 2003 and vs. Appalachian State Dec. 2, 2004. She also tied a career high with four steals and added four assists.

Yates Collects Double-Double in Second Career Game at CCU

Junior Calisha Yates (Columbus, Ind./Chattanooga State C.C.) had team highs of 16 points and 11 rebounds in Coastal’s 88-45 win over Southern Virginia Nov. 25. Of Yates’ 11 rebounds, 10 of those came on the offensive end. Yates opened her career with 10 second-half points in a 57-42 win over Campbell.

Coastal Improves in Season Openers with Win over Campbell

Coastal Carolina improved to 7-2 in season openers under head coach Alan LeForce with its 57-42 win over Campbell Nov. 22. In its first season opener on the road since 1997-98, Coastal went 13-of-17 from the free-throw line and forced the Lady Camels into 28 turnovers as the Lady Chants led by as many as 16 points in the win. Coastal also has won seven of its last eight games against Campbell.

Tyler Finds Form in Southern Virginia Win

Senior Jasmine Tyler (Jacksonville, Fla./Okaloosa C.C.) went 7-of-11 from the field for 15 points in Coastal’s 88-45 win over Southern Virginia Nov. 25. The senior also was 1-of-3 from three-point range, had six rebounds and dished out three assists.

De-Fense, De-Fense

Coastal held Campbell to 42 points Nov. 22 in its 15-point win. That mark was just two off the lowest point output Campbell has had at home. The Lady Chants held the Camels to 37 percent from the field and just 46 shot attempts. Coastal outrebounded Campbell 40-32, led by senior Demaria Young’s (Memphis, Tenn./Walters State C.C.) nine.

Young Chairwoman of the Boards

Senior Demaria Young (Memphis, Tenn./Walters State C.C.), playing in the post for most of the game despite being 5-8, was one off her career high as she had nine rebounds in the 57-42 win over Campbell Nov. 22. Young had eight first-half rebounds, three offensive, and added four points in the win.

Dill Stuffs Stat Sheet

While junior Alisha Dill (Johnson City, Tenn./Science Hill) had only five points in the 57-42 win over Campbell, she was big in every other statistical category. Dill had four rebounds, three offensive, a game-high six assists, three blocked shots and two steals. The three blocks were a career high, as she had only five blocks in her first two seasons at Coastal.

New Face on the Bench

Coastal has a new coach for the 2005-06 season and she is no stranger to the Myrtle Beach area. Shameka Montgomery (UNC Wilmington ’03) was the conference Player of the Year in 1999 at North Myrtle Beach High School and was a nominee for Miss South Carolina Basketball. Montgomery went to UNC Wilmington, where she scored 1,139 points and grabbed 724 rebounds in her four-year career. She came to Coastal after playing overseas in Sweden in 2004-05.

Chanticleers Picked Sixth in the Big South

The Coastal Carolina University women’s basketball team was picked to finish sixth in the Big South Conference annual preseason poll, announced at the League’s annual Basketball Tip-Off Luncheon in Charlotte, N.C.

Coastal earned 72 points, including one first-place vote, to earn the sixth spot. Liberty was picked to win its ninth straight regular-season title, earning 189 points and 14 first-place votes. High Point was not far behind with 181 points and nine first-place votes. UNC Asheville was picked third with 163 votes and two first-place votes. Radford was picked fourth with 112 points, followed by Birmingham-Southern (95 points), Coastal, Charleston Southern (69 points) and Winthrop (55 points).

Turner Named to the Big South Preseason All-Conference Team

Senior Kim Turner (West Memphis, Ark./Hiwassee C.C.) was selected to the League’s Preseason All-Conference Team, it was announced at the League’s annual Basketball Tip-Off Luncheon in Charlotte, N.C.

Turner, a 6-0 forward, averaged 13.1 points and 6.0 rebounds in 26 games last season. She was a Second Team All-Big South selection in 2004-05 and was fourth in the conference in scoring and sixth in the League in rebounding. Turner had three double-doubles, including a 22-point, 15-rebound performance against Birmingham-Southern March 2. The forward also led the team with 32 blocked shots and had 55 steals, which was second on the team.

Turner was joined on the All-Big South Preseason Team by Preseason Player of the Year Katie O’Dell of High Point, Kristal Hood of UNC Asheville, Stacey Anthony of Birmingham-Southern, Allyson Fasnacht of Liberty and Corrie Fertitta of Radford.

Head Coach Alan LeForce

Coastal head coach Alan LeForce (Cumberland (Ky.) ’57) is starting his ninth season as the Lady Chanticleers’ mentor. He has a 113-119 record at CCU and a 353-299 overall record in 23 seasons as a head coach. LeForce is the all-time winningest women’s basketball coach in CCU history and is the only coach to win 100 games in both Division I men’s and women’s basketball.

Big South Stats

Coastal leads the Big South in scoring defense, scoring margin, steals and turnover margin. Senior Amber Rose (Bloomington Springs, Tenn./Upperman) leads the League in free-throw percentage (.941). Coastal also is second in rebouding margin, behind Liberty.

Radio Broadcasts

The Coastal Carolina women’s baskeball team will have at least 12 games on radio this season, tipping off with Nov. 22 game against Campbell. All Coastal women’s basketball radio broadcasts are on "THE TEAM" 93.9 FM in Myrtle Beach. All games also will be available on Coastal Carolina’s athletic website at www.GoCCUSports.com.

CCU Signs Five Student-Athletes to National Letters-of-Intent

The Coastal Carolina University women’s basketball program has signed five student-athletes to National Letters-of-Intent, head coach Alan LeForce announced Nov. 9.

"Without question, this is the best recruiting class we have assembled in the history of our program," LeForce said. "I know this will put some pressure on them to perform, but as a whole, it has to rank as one of the best classes in the history of the Big South."

The following is a list of the student-athletes coming to Coastal Carolina in 2006-07.

Name Pos. Ht. Hometown

Lauren Grochowski F 5-11 Naperville, Ill.

Lacey Lyons F 5-11 Beverly Hills, Fla.

Devin Rivers C 6-1 Miami, Fla.

Amanda Stull G 5-9 Rushville, Ind.

Lori Whitaker G 5-9 Bloomington, Ind.

Game Day Central

All the Coastal women’s basketball games this season will have a Game Day Central link on www.GoCCUSports.com, which will feature roster, schedules and stats for both teams as well as links to any live audio or live stats. Just click on the G under the women’s basketball schedule for access to the Game Day Central.

Up Next

Coastal hosts Converse Saturday, Jan. 7 at 5 p.m.