Game Notes
CONWAY, S.C. – The Coastal Carolina men's basketball team will look to get back to winning form when Georgia State visits the HTC Center this Saturday, Jan. 4, for a 2 p.m. matinee.
The Chants' winning task will not be an easy one as the Panthers enter the game at 10-4 overall and one of three teams in the Sun Belt still undefeated in conference play at 3-0.
The Panthers have a new coach in Rob Lanier who came over to Atlanta from Knoxville, Tenn., where he served as the associate head coach for the Tennessee Volunteers and helped lead UT to a number one national ranking last year.
While the Panthers may have a new coach, their program has not missed a beat and will be looking to defend their two-time Sun Belt regular-season title.
The Chants have been up-and-down all season and the loss to Georgia Southern Thursday night was a perfect example.
CCU gave up 11 first-half three's to the Eagles in falling behind by as many as 18 points (36-18) in the first half. In the second half, CCU held the visitors 29 percent shooting and made a 16-0 run to even the score at 56. From there, the Chants could not capture the lead in the three-point loss.
This game has the makings of a fast-paced contest as the game features the top-two scoring teams in the Sun Belt. CCU leads the conference averaging 80.9 points per game while Georgia State is just behind at 79.4.
The game also has the top-two three-point shooting teams in the conference with the Panthers shooting .388 percent on its three-point attempts and CCU just behind at .382.
Both teams have some exciting players to watch as Georgia State's Corey Allen is the sixth-leading Sun Belt scorer at 15.3 points per game.
He has plenty of scoring help as Kane Williams (13.7), Justin Roberts (13.1) and Damon Wilson (11.5) all average double-digit scoring.
CCU will counter with its scoring leaders led by
DeVante' Jones at 14.9 points per game. He also leads the Sun Belt in assists (76) and free throw shooting (.873).
Keishawn Brewton (14.6),
Tyrell Gumbs-Frater (13.4) and
Tommy Burton (10.9) join Jones in averaging double-digit scoring.
Saturday's contest will also feature three of the top three-point shooters in the conference. CCU's Gumbs-Frater continues to lead the conference knocking down .514 of his three's, while teammate Brewton is shooting .389 and is in third place. Georgia State's Allen is fourth in the conference hitting at a .387 clip from long range on the season.
Links for the live video and live stats can be found at GoCCUsports.com.
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.
