Chants Open Big South Play Saturday at Campbell
11/25/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
CONWAY - Coastal Carolina men's basketball will open its final season of Big South Conference play Saturday afternoon at Campbell. The Chanticleers and Fighting Camels are scheduled for a 2:00 p.m. tipoff at Gore Arena.
Game Information
Date / Time: Sat., Nov. 28, 2015 / 2:00 p.m.
Site: Buies Creek, N.C. / Pope Convocation Center / Gore Arena (3,095)
Audio Broadcast: Chanticleer Sports Network
Radio: 1050AM and 101.9FM in the Conway / Myrtle Beach area
Online Audio Link: http://portal.stretchinternet.com/coastal/
Talent: Nick Baldino (play-by-play)
Online Video Broadcast: Big South Network
Live Stats: GoCamels.com
Twitter Updates: @GoCCUSports
Coastal Carolina Game Notes | Campbell Game Notes
Last Time Out
• Coastal Carolina used a 6-0 run by Jaylen Shaw and Elijah Wilson to break a 55-all tie, then made six free throws down the stretch to defeat College of Charleston 67-61 Wednesday evening at TD Arena.
• The win was the first for the Chanticleers in the Cougars' home arena since January 1977.
• Badou Diagne led the Chanticleers with a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double. Joining Diagne in double-figures was Wilson with 14, Shivaughn Wiggins with 13 and Colton Ray-St Cyr with 10.
• Coastal shot 55.3 percent (26 of 47) for the game and outscored CofC 34-8 in the paint.
The Series vs. Campbell
• Coastal Carolina and Campbell have met 39 times on the basketball court.
• Campbell holds the series lead at 21-18, but Coastal has won the last four straight and six of the last 10 meetings overall.
• Coastal Carolina used seven 3-pointers during the final seven minutes of the first half to expand a three-point lead to 24 on its way to an 81-57 victory over Campbell in the teams' last meeting on Feb. 19, 2015.
• Coastal is 4-2 against Campbell since the Fighting Camels rejoined the Big South prior to the 2011-12 season.
Up Next
• The Chanticleers return to the friendly confines of the HTC Center to face SEC member Auburn on Wednesday, Dec. 2. Coastal defeated the Tigers 58-54 on the Plains last season.
Coastal Carolina in Big South Conference Openers
• Coastal Carolina is 23-7 all-time in Big South Conference openers including 6-2 under the direction of head coach Cliff Ellis.
• CCU's 23-7 conference opener record is tied with UNC Asheville for tops among Big South institutions.
• CCU has won 10 of its last 13 Big South openers.
• Coastal went on the road and defeated High Point 83-69 in last season's conference opener on New Year's Eve. The Chanticleers led the entirety of the game and shot 54 percent from the field.
Diagne Double-Doubles
• Badou Diagne notched his second double-double of the season and 18th of his career Nov. 24 in leading the Chanticleers past in-state rival College of Charleston. Diagne finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds. The senior scored 10 of his points in the first half to propel the Chants to a 28-27 lead at the break. He notched eight of his rebounds in the second half, including three defensive boards in the final three minutes of play.
Lockdown Defense
• Through five games, Coastal Carolina leads the Big South in defensive field goal percentage (.340) and ranks third in scoring defense (62.0).
• Most recently Coastal held College of Charleston to 33.9 percent from the floor in its win over the Cougars. Even more impressive was the Chanticleers' ability to hold the College's Canyon Barry, who entered the contest as the nation's third leading scorer at 28.0 points per game, to only eight points, including an none in the opening 20 minutes.
• Coastal has held each opponent to 40.0 or lower shooting percentage, including a season-best 19.7 percentage against Piedmont International.
Curtis Making His Shots Count
• Senior forward Tristian Curtis has made the most of his shot selection this season as the Bohemian is shooting a team-high 85.7 percent from the floor. Curtis has made 12 of his 14 attempts through four games. He had a miss each against Grace Bible and College of Charleston with both rimming out after entering the cylinder. His accuracy also led to a career-high 14 points against Grace Bible (Nov. 18).
Ellis Approaching 700 Club
• Chanticleer head man Cliff Ellis is quickly approaching one of the great milestone in college basketball ... 700 wins as a Division I coach. Ellis, who has 773 wins including his three seasons at Cumberland College, is five wins short of 700 as a NCAA Division I head coach. Ellis will be the ninth coach in NCAA Division I history to reach the 700 win plateau (see complete list on page 4). Ellis won 171 games at South Alabama, 177 at Clemson, 186 at Auburn and has chalked up 161 victories at Coastal Carolina to total his current 695 wins.
Lending The Helping Hand
• Redshirt sophomore Jaylen Shaw has had no problem sharing the basketball this season. He has created numerous open shot for his teammates and dished out 27 assists through four games. He had eight helpers each against Grace Bible and Piedmont International. His 27 assists ranks 28th in the NCAA, while his 5.4 per game average ranks 65th.
