CONWAY, S.C. –   Junior standout guard DeVante' Jones scored 20 of his team-high 24 points in the second half to lead four players in double figures as Coastal Carolina grabbed an 81-69 win over Sun Belt Conference rival Georgia State Friday night at the HTC Center. The Chanticleers, which also got double figures scoring from junior Deanthony Tipler, freshman forward Essam Mostafa, and sophomore Ebrima Dibba, improved to 7-1 on the season and 7-0 at home, the best start to a season since the 2011-12 season.  Georgia State slipped to 6-2 overall. It was the first conference game for each school.
 
Jones scored 17 of his team's first 19 points to open the second half as the Chanticleers built a 58-48 lead with 13 minutes remaining. They were up by 12, at 75-63, in the final two minutes and held off the Panthers by making six-of-eight free throws down the stretch.
 
Jones also grabbed 14 rebounds to earn the eighth double-double of his terrific career. The do-everything star also had six assists and five steals to keep him among the national leaders in steals. Mostafa had his third consecutive double-double, with 15 points and a season-high 16 rebounds. Tipler added 22 points and Dibba chipped in with a season-high 15 points.
 
Georgia State had three players in double figures, led by guard Justin Roberts with 14 points. The Panthers' leading scorer Corey Allen was held to 10, five points below his average.
 
"That's a good win for us," said a pleased head coach Cliff Ellis. "That's a tough team. We really got off to a good start, but they kept fighting back. I thought the key to the win was our defense."
 
Ellis chose to give junior forward Eric Hippolyte his first start of the season, and the 6-foot-7 inside player responded with seven rebounds and set the tone in the paint, where the Chanticleers held a sizable, 52-35, rebounding advantage. The rebounding edge helped get Jones out on fast breaks, especially in the second half when he carried his team at the most important times.
 
Coastal took the lead with its first basket and held the lead throughout the rest of the game. Mostafa made three consecutive baskets inside to give the Chanticleers a 10-point lead, at 34-24, before they settled for a 39-33 advantage at the break. Tipler was another key factor in the early going, hitting for 16 points in the opening period and frustrating the Panthers' Allen on defense. Allen, a 15-points-a-game scorer, had just two points at the break.
 
Coastal shot 28-of-65 on the night (43 percent) and had six three-pointers, including four by Tipler in the first half. Dibba was quietly efficient, hitting on six-of-nine shots and passing out four assists while being the guard who broke the Georgia State defensive press late in the game.
 
Coastal will have a quick turn-around to host Georgia State again at 3 p.m. Saturday. The Chanticleers are also home next weekend to welcome South Alabama for two games.
 
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