Final Box (pdf)
Conway –Junior guard
Keishawn Brewton scored a game-high 24 points and senior guard
Tyrell Gumbs-Frater added 21 points, but Coastal Carolina still dropped its season-opener, 75-74, to Campbell Tuesday night at the HTC Center.
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Coastal went scoreless over the final two minutes and hit just 8-16 free throws on the night. Still, the Chanticleers had a chance in the final second, but sophomore
Ebrima Dibba's half court toss was off the mark.
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Campbell had three players in double figures, led by 16 points from senior Cory Gensler. The simple difference, however, came at the free throw line, where Coastal was just 8-16 while Campbell was a perfect 15-15.
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"We have to learn from this game," said Coastal head coach
Cliff Ellis. "There's a long way to go. Campbell is a good team, and this was a dogfight. Brewton and Gumbs-Frater hit big shots for us, but we have to get more scoring around therm."
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Although a junior, Brewton, from Spartanburg, S.C., was playing his first game for Coastal after transferring from Chipola Junior College. He got 15 of his points in the second half and was 6-7 from the free throw line. Gumbs-Frater, an experienced 3-point threat, got his 21 points in just 19 minutes.
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There were 13 lead changes in the game, and neither team held a double-digit lead. Brewton scored nine points in the first half and helped the Chanticleers to an eight-point lead, at 24-16, before Campbell battled back in the final four minutes of the half. From there, the Fighting Camels rallied behind Jesus Carralero (5 points) to outscore Coastal, 18-10, to take a 33-30 lead at the half.
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Gumbs-Frater hit consecutive baskets to lift Coastal to a 62-59 lead mid-way through the second half, but Campbell scored eight straight to take a 67-62 lead and stayed in front the rest of the way.
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Coastal shot 29-60 (48%) from the field and held a 42-31 edge in rebounding, with junior transfer
Garrick Green grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds. Campbell made only 24 field goals, but half of them were 3-pointers (12-34). Gensler got 12 of his 16 points from behind the arch, on 4-8 three-point shooting.
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The Chants will be back in action Friday, Nov. 8, when they host Hampden-Sydney at 7:30 p.m. The game is part of a CCU double-header with the first action of the evening coming win the CCU women's team plays host to Arkansas-Pine Bluff at 5 p.m.
For complete coverage of CCU men's basketball, follow the Chants on social media @CoastalMBB (twitter), facebook.com/CCUChanticleers (facebook), @GoCCUSports (Instagram) or visit the official home of Coastal Carolina Athletics at goccusports.com.
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