DURHAM, N.C. – The Coastal Carolina women's basketball team won its third consecutive game, and first on the road this season, defeating North Carolina Central 89-66 Saturday afternoon at McDougald-McLendon Arena.
Coastal improves to 5-1 with the win and is off to its best season start since the 2011-12 Chanticleers won six of seven games to open the season. North Carolina Central remains winless through its first seven games.
Coastal was once again led by junior guard
DJ Williams, who had game highs of 23 points, six assists and seven steals. Williams made 10 of her 13 attempts from the field, and led the Chants at the line with three made free throws.
Naheria Hamilton joined Williams in double figures with 11 points, and
Breelyn Blanding added a game-high nine rebounds to go along with her seven points and four assists.
Coastal shot just over 52 percent from the field as it crossed the 80-point threshold for the third time in six games. The Chants also recorded a season-high 18 assists.
Both the Chants and Eagles struggled with giveaways in the first half as each team turned the ball over 19 times. Coastal managed to make the most of the situation, however, by scoring 12 points off NCCU turnovers.
Coastal's production over the game's first 20 minutes came almost exclusively down low as the Chants scored 30 of their 43 points in the paint. Williams had 13 of her 23 points in the first half as she made six of seven field goal attempts.
Coastal broke open the game late in the third quarter after going on a 14-2 run in a little over three minutes of action. The offensive outburst allowed the Chants to carry a 65-53 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Chants continued to build their lead over the game's final 10 minutes, using 8-0 and 7-0 runs to take the largest lead of the game at 23 points.
Coastal finished the game with 62 points in the paint, and out-rebounded the Eagles 50-30.
Coastal returns home to the HTC Center on Wednesday to host Meredith College for a 5 p.m. game. The women's contest is the first half of a Coastal basketball doubleheader as the men square off against Hampton at 7:30 p.m.
