Coastal Basketball Opens Season With Doubleheader
11/13/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
CONWAY - The Coastal Carolina men's and women's basketball teams make their 2014-15 season debuts on Friday, November 14, with back-to-back games in The HTC Center. The Chanticleer women tip against UNC Pembroke at 5 pm, followed by the men's game against Trinity Baptist at 7:30 pm.
Women vs. UNC Pembroke | 5 pm | The HTC Center
Men vs. Trinity Baptist | 7:30 pm | The HTC Center
Coastal Carolina Men's Basketball
CCU in Season Openers
- Coastal Carolina is 24-16 all-time in season openers
- Coastal fell to Akron, 63-72, to open up the 2013-14 season in Akron, Ohio.
- Coastal Carolina holds a 29-10 record in home openers dating back to the 1974-75 season. The Chanticleers have won four straight home openers with their last loss coming to Coker College during the 2008-09 season, 80-59.
- The Chanticleers are 2-0 in home openers at The HTC Center, defeating Akron in 2013 and Guilford College in 2014.
Warren G... The Regulator
- Senior Warren Gillis was the man that made Coastal tick during the 2013-14 season. Not only did the Philadelphia native average a career-high 14.7 points per game a year ago, but he also led the Chanticleers with 106 assists. The versatile guard earned second team All-Big South honors for his efforts during the regular season. He then went on to be named the Big South Tournament MVP as he averaged a blistering 17.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per game en route to leading the Chanticleers to their first conference tournament title since 1993. This season Gillis was named to the conference's preseason first team as the veteran prepares to lace up for his final season in a Chanticleer uniform.
The Scoring Streak
- Warren Gillis owns one of the more impressive scoring streaks in recent Chanticleer basketball memory. He ended last season scoring in double-figures in 21 straight games. The last time Gillis failed to reach double-digits in the points column was Dec. 30, 2013 against SC State as he closed that contest with nine points. Overall, Gillis scored 10-plus points in 30 of the Chanticleers' 34 games a year ago.
Wilson One of the Best Freshman in the Nation in 2013-14
- Elijah Wilson turned in a phenomenal rookie campaign during the 2013-14 season.
- He led the Chants in scoring with 537 points while breaking Coastal Carolina Hall of Fame member Jack Leasure's freshman scoring record by 117 points. He also broke the school's freshman field goals made record which stood for 29 years with 200 made baskets. The previous record was held by William Calvin who made 156 shots during the 1984-85 season.
- Wilson finished the season as the 12th ranked freshman scorer in the country at 15.8 points per game. In addition, he ranked 10th-best in the Big South.
Coastal Carolina Women's Basketball
CCU In Season Openers
- Coastal Carolina is 22-18 all-time in season openers.
- Coastal defeated Virginia Intermont in last year's season opener, topping the Cobras 97-66.
- It is the second straight year the Chants open the season at home.
- Coastal is unbeaten in home openers at The HTC Center. The Chants lost their 2012-13 season opener at College of Charleston before winning their first home game against North Carolina Central.
Home Standing Chants
- Coastal plays four straight home games in The HTC Center to open the 2014-15 season.
Returners
- The Chants bring back three players who saw minutes last season.
- AJ Jordan, a 2013-14 first team all-conference selection, leads the group. Jordan averaged 16.6 points, third in the Big South, and 7.0 rebounds, ninth in the Big South, to lead Coastal last season.
- Karsen Sims was selected to the Big South All-Freshman team after averaging 7.9 points and 2.8 boards last year. She also ranked sixth in the Big South in both 3-point field goal percentage and 3-pointers made.
- Olivia Carlton started six games in last season, and played in 27. She averaged 1.5 points and 0.9 rebounds.
Fresh Faces
- Coastal Carolina welcomes six newcomers to its 2014-15 roster, including Jas Adams, Dionne Parker, Alexis Robinson, Alira Mihocic, Anna Vogt and Nicole Isaacs.
- Jas Adams is Coastal's only freshman. Sophomores Dionne Parker and Alexis Robinson will be making their Chanticleer debuts, as will Ced Gibson and Khadejah Wilkerson, each of whom redshirted last season due to transfer policies. Transfers Alira Mihocic and Anna Vogt make up Coastal's junior class, along with redshirt junior Stephanie Isaacs, who sat out last season after transferring to Coastal. Stephanie's sister Nicole Isaacs will sit out this season due to transfer policies.
Building Upon Success
- Entering her second season at Coastal, head coach Jaida Williams is looking to build upon the success the program had in 2013-14.
- In Williams' first season at the helm of the Chanticleers, Coastal averaged a program-best 71.9 points per game, ranking second in the Big South.
- The Chanticleers' 15 wins last year were the most since the 2009-10 season.
- Coastal also won its first Big South Tournament game, a 106-71 thriller over Charleston Southern, for the first time since 2010.
- Williams coached three players to all-conference honors in 2013-14 - AJ Jordan (first team), Angelica Henry (honorable mention) and Karsen Sims (all-freshman)
