Coastal Carolina University
5-6
Butler University
6-4
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butler | 38 | 33 | 71 |
| Coastal Carolina | 28 | 35 | 63 |
Chants' Rally Falls Short In Loss To Butler
12/19/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 19, 2010
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.- The Coastal Carolina women's basketball team mounted a comeback from 13 points down to Butler in the second half but would ultimately fall to the Bulldogs 71-63 at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center in game one of the Carolinas Challenge.
Coastal Carolina (5-6) battled back from a 52-39 deficit with 13:31 remaining in the game to bring the score within four points on five separate occasions, but could not come any closer as Butler (6-4) converted eight free throws down the stretch to close out the victory.
The Chanticleers exchanged the lead with the Bulldogs 10 times through the first half before Butler ended the period on a 12-2 run to take a 38-28 advantage into the locker room at the intermission. Butler, who entered the game shooting 40.6 percent, connected on 12-of-22 shots attempts in the first half for 54.5 percent. The Chants shot a first half season-high 45 percent from the floor.
After the break, Butler would twice build a game-high 13 point lead before the Sydnei Moss led Chanticleers would chip away at the margin. Coastal would use a 9-0 run, capped by a Kayla Cook layup, over 4:24 to trim the Butler lead to four for the first time in the half. On the ensuing possession, Butler's Chloe Hamilton would knock down a jumper to take away the Chanticleer momentum.
Butler would run out to a nine point lead on the Chants with 6:25 remaining in the contest before Olivia Irick and Kayla Cook scored on back to back possessions to bring the lead back down to four with just under five minutes to play in the game.
After Butler was able to extend out the lead to eight with 3:09 remaining, Coastal would make one final run. Taylor Epley was sent to the line where she would sink both free throws to close the Chanticleer deficit to six. Irick then forced a Butler turnover and fed a pass ahead to a streaking Moss who converted on the fastbreak layup to once again bring the Chants within four points of tying the game with 53 second left in the game.
Butler would finally ice the game as the Bulldogs converted five free throws in the final minute to secure its sixth win of the season.
Moss led the Chanticleers with a season-high 20 points with eight made baskets and four free throws. Moss' point total marked the first time a Chanticleer had scored 20-plus points in a game since she scored 26 against Charleston Southern on March 12 of last season. Irick contributed 12 points in the game while Cook added 10. Coastal shot 45.8 percent from the floor, well above its season average of 33.9.
The Chanticleers made the most of the 25 Butler miscues as the team scored a season-high 34 points off of the turnovers.
Butler's Hamilton led all scorers with a season-high 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting along with seven free throws. Butler would finish the game shooting a near season-high 52.3 percent.
The Chanticleers will take the next 10 days off for the Christmas holiday before returning to the court on Thursday, Dec. 30 at USC Upstate. Tip-off from Upstate's G.B. Hodge Center is set for 7 p.m.
