Conway, S.C. – Junior center
Naheria Hamilton scored 15 points and grabbed 9 rebounds as Coastal Carolina pulled away in the final minutes for a 57-44 win over South Carolina State at the HTC Center.
Hamilton was supported by junior guard
Torrie Cash, who had 10 points, as the Chanticleers moved to 2-0 on the season. South Carolina State, which fell to 0-3, was paced by senior guard Rhein Beamon's 15 points.
"Naheria did a phenomenal job tonight," said head coach
Jaida Williams of her team's leading scorer. "She woke up tonight. I thought she could dominate inside, and she did."
Coastal shot a respectable 44 percent (24-54) from the field, but it was the Chanticleers' full-court pressing defense that turned the momentum.
"We needed to pick up our energy level with the full-court press," said Williams. "We looked like we weren't ready to play. We had to do something."
Coastal kept the press on for three quarters and got points from 11 players. The Chanticleers forced 17 turnovers and collected 10 steals. They out-rebounded the Bulldogs as well, 42-35.
Each team had 10-0 runs in the first half. South Carolina State started the game with the first run, jumping out to a 10-0 lead and holding the Chanticleers scoreless for more than 7 minutes.
Coastal finally broke the ice and tied the game at 10-10, and then pulled away with a 16-3 run to close the second quarter and hold the lead the rest of the way.
Janae Camp and Hamilton each had 4 points in the run, giving Coastal a 30-20 halftime lead. The Chanticleers shot 10-16 (62.5%) in the second quarter.
After being outscored by two points in the third quarter, Coastal continued to add to its lead in the fourth by scoring 11 unanswered points to take a 16-point lead, its largest of the night.
Next up for Coastal is its first road test of the season. The Chants head to UC Riverside for a 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET game on Nov. 18. Coastal then returns to the HTC Center after Thanksgiving to host its two-day tournament featuring Bowling Green, Memphis and Mercer.
