SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Jomaru Brown scored a career-high 28 points and Essam Mostafa picked up another double-double with 17 points and 16 rebounds, but it was not enough as Coastal Carolina (2-1) fell on the road at USC Upstate (2-2) 79-78 Friday evening in Spartanburg, S.C., to pick up their first loss of the season.
 
The Chants had battled back from a 12-point deficit in the second half and actually took a seven-point lead (66-59) with six minutes left in the game. The Spartans outscored CCU 20-12 over those final six minutes to pull out the win. A Jomaru Brown basket with 24 seconds left gave CCU a 78-77 lead, but USCU's Trae Broadnax was able to knock down the game-winner with 10 seconds left. A desperation heave by Jomaru Brown was off the mark and USC Upstate escaped with the win.
 
Jomaru Brown scored his points on 8-of-14 shooting and a perfect 10-of-10 at the free throw line. Mostafa has picked up a double-double in each of the first three games and has 25 for his career.
 
Wilfried Likayi also picked up a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. It was his first double-double of the season.
 
All five USC Upstate starters reached double figures led by Ahmir Langlais' 18 points. Broadnax finished with 13, including the game-winner, while Jordan Gainey scored 13 and Khydarius Smith had 12.
 
The Chants won the rebounding battle 40-28 and had 13 offensive rebounds which led to 18 second-chance points. After only shooting 40 percent in the first half, CCU rebounded in the second 20 minutes to finish the game shooting just over 49 percent from the field.
 
USCU shot an even 50 percent from the field, but hit nine three-point field goals to only three for CCU. The Chants were excellent at the free throw line knocking down 19-of-22 (86.4 percent), while the home-standing Spartans only hit 6-of-15 (40.0 percent).
 
USCU carried a 43-35 lead into the locker room at halftime as the Spartans three-point shooting was the difference. USCU finished the opening 20 minutes with seven three-point field goals compared to only two for the Chants.
 
Langlais and Gainey had eight points each to lead the Spartans in the first half.
 
Jomaru Brown scored 11 points and Likayi added 10, while Mostafa had seven points and nine rebounds and the Chants outrebounded USCU 24-16 in the first half.
 
CCU will continue the current two-game road trip on Wednesday, Nov. 23, when the Chanticleers play at Missouri at 8 p.m. ET at the Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Mo.
 
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