Jan. 22, 2011

Box Score

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. - Desmond Holloway scored a career-high 27 points and Coastal Carolina escaped with a 58-55 win at Gardner-Webb Saturday night from the Paul Porter Center.

Holloway scored seven points in the final 1:56 to record his eighth game this season with at least 20 points.

Coastal Carolina (18-2, 9-0) trailed 54-51 with just under two minutes to play and Holloway hit a floater and drew a foul off an inbounds play to even the score at 54-54. After a turnover by Gardner-Webb, Holloway hit a layup and again drew the foul. He missed the free throw, but Chad Gray grabbed the offensive rebound and reset a play for Coastal. Holloway swished a jumper at the free throw line to put the Chants ahead 58-54.

Laron Buggs drew a foul on the following Gardner-Webb possession and hit one of two free throws. The second free throw hit off a Coastal player and fell out of bounds to leave possession with the Runnin' Bulldogs. Luke Davis attempted to tie the game with a last second three-pointer, but Kierre Greenwood blocked the shot as time expired.

Gray added 10 points and seven rebounds to help Coastal win its 16th straight game.

Buggs led Gardner-Webb with 16 points, while Jon Moore added 14 points and hit two three-pointers.

Coastal Carolina managed just seven points in the first 9:42 of the game, but a successful three-point play from Gray midway through the half tied the score at 10-10. Holloway hit a three-pointer on the following Chanticleer possession to give Coastal a 13-10 lead with 10:30 left on the clock.

Stefon Johnson answered on the other end for the Runnin' Bulldogs with an offensive rebound and a putback to pull Gardner-Webb within a point at 13-12. But Holloway hit three-pointers on back-to-back possessions to give Coastal its largest lead of the half at 19-12.

Gardner-Webb used an 11-1 run thereafter to take a 23-20 lead with 2:38 remaining. Danny Nieman answered with his second three-pointer of the half to even the score at 23-23 before Sam McLaurin hit two free throws to push Coastal ahead 25-23.

Johnson converted a layup on the other end to tie the score for the third time of the half, but Holloway hit a tough jumper for the Chants on the ensuing possession to give Coastal a 27-25 lead at halftime.

Coastal Carolina made just nine field goals and shot 34.6 percent from the field in the first half. Gardner-Webb was 11-for-20 from the field and shot 55.0 percent in the opening half.

Coastal returns to action Thursday night at 7 p.m. when the Chanticleers travel to High Point, N.C., to take on High Point from the Millis Athletic and Convocation Center.