Jan. 18, 2010

Final Stats

CONWAY, S.C. - Redshirt-junior Lauren Grochowski played just 22 seconds, but hit the game-winning three pointer with 18 seconds left in the game to give Coastal Carolina University's women's basketball team a thrilling 59-57 win over Winthrop on Monday night, Jan. 18. The Chanticleers are now 7-0 in Kimbel Arena, and handed the Eagles their fourth consecutive loss. Coastal improves to the 2-2 mark in the Big South and 11-5 overall, while Winthrop is now 1-4 in the conference and 6-11 overall.

The game was tight throughout the first half as it consisted of two ties and five lead changes. Winthrop's Lacey Lyons and Coastal's Amanda Stull tallied three, three-pointers in the first stanza, but the Eagles headed into the locker room with a 27-25 advantage after Shanice Cole hit two free-throws.

The two teams continued to battle throughout the second half, as sophomore Olivia Irick paced the Chants early in the first half, scoring eight of 10 points in a span to give the Chants a 43-41 advantage with 9:04 remaining. The Eagles fought their way back with a 7-0 run as a Fansler three-pointer gave Winthrop its biggest lead of the game at 48-43 with 6:12 to play. Coastal clawed back to within one at 52-51 with just under two minutes to play before Winthrop's Jessica Fansler hit a three with 1:44 remaining in the game, putting Coastal down by four, 55-51. After a missed front end of a one-and-one from Fansler, Stull drained a triple that cut the lead to 55-54 with 36 seconds to go. Sydnei Moss grabbed a missed free-throw from Winthrop's leading scorer Cole, and pushed the ball up court, finding Grochowski in the corner for the game-winning three, to give Coastal the 57-55 lead with 18 seconds remaining. Senior Kendra Reynolds sealed the win by hitting two free throws to make it a two-possession game at 59-55 with four seconds left. In the final five minutes, the Chanticleers were a perfect 8-for-8 from the charity stripe to give themselves a chance in the closing seconds.

The Eagles shot 52.3 percent (23-for-44) from the field, as the Chanticleers went 40.0 percent (20-for-50). The difference was that Coastal shot a season-high 92.3 percent (12-for-13) from the charity stripe. The Chanticleers also outrebounded the visitors 29-26.

Reynolds posted her second straight double-double of the season with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Stull led the Chanticleers with 18 points, including going 4-for-6 from beyond the arc. Fansler led the Eagles with 18 points, going 4-for-4 in triples in the second half. Cole followed with 16 points, and Mary Hathaway tallied eight points and 14 rebounds.

Coastal Carolina will play its third game of a four-game home stand against Radford on Saturday, January 23 at 2 p.m. in Kimbel Arena. Winthrop will return to Rock Hill, S.C. to take on Gardner-Webb on January 23 at 4 p.m.

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