CONWAY, S.C. – The Coastal Carolina University men's basketball team will host South Carolina Gamecocks on Wednesday, Dec. 1, at the HTC Center. The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. ET tip and is the first of a five-game homestand for the Chanticleers with eight of their next nine games being played at the HTC Center.
 
While the teams have met four times previously, it will be the first time the teams have met in Conway. USC (5-1) holds a 3-1 lead in the all-time series with the Chants' lone win an 88-74 victory in Columbia back in 1993.
 
The two most recent games came during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Both games went down to the wire with the Gamecocks pulling out the close wins. USC won the 2017 contest 80-78 on a three-point play with less than 10 seconds left in the game, while the Gamecocks won the 2018 contest with a late surge 85-78.
 
CCU (2-2) enters the game coming off a runner-up finish at the Baha Mar Nassau Championship. Essam Mostafa has lived up to his preseason billing, leading CCU in scoring (18.5) and rebounding (10.5). He is third in the Sun Belt in scoring and is the top rebounder.
 
A couple of newcomers in Rudi Williams and Vince Cole are averaging double figures heading into the game. Williams, who hit the game-winning three-pointer against Valparaiso in the Bahamas, is second on the team and ninth in the Sun Belt averaging 13.5 points per game. He is also tied with teammate Mostafa for second in the conference in field goal percentage, as both are shooting 50 percent from the field. Cole is averaging 10 points per game.
 
Junior Ebrima Dibba continues to do a little bit of everything for the Chants. He leads the team and the conference in assists averaging 5.5 per game. He is also shooting 50 percent from the field while averaging 8.0 points per game. His 6.3 rebounds per game are second on the team and 10th in the Sun Belt.
 
The Gamecocks will enter the game winners of four consecutive games and while most of their games have been close, they have shown the ability to be a solid scoring and defensive team.
 
Keyshawn Bryant, who has played in just one game this season, is averaging 17.0 points per game to lead four Gamecocks in double figures. Jermaine Couisnard (13.5), Erik Stevenson (13.3), and Wilden Leveque (10.3) have all shown scoring ability as USC is averaging almost 72 points per game.
 
Defensively, the Gamecocks have been hard on all of their opponents only giving up 64.2 points per game this season. USC is limiting its opponents to only 38 percent shooting from the field and 33 percent shooting from beyond the three-point line. They are also outrebounding their opponents by nine per game with Leveque leading the team with 7.3 boards per contest.
 
The game can be heard on WRNN 99.5 Hot Talk and watched live on ESPN+. Links for both along with live stats can be found at www.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 www.GoCCUSports.com.