CONWAY, S.C. – Aja Blount scored 20 points,
Jordyn Newsome had 19 points, and
Arin Freeman added 18 points to lead five players in double figures as Coastal Carolina easily outscored Coker University 104-38, in a season-opening home game Wednesday evening at the HTC Center.
Blount, a graduate student who now has scored in double figures in 22 of her last 23 games, also grabbed 13 rebounds to register a double-double. Freeman came off the bench to get her highest point total of the young season and backed it up with seven assists and six steals. Coastal, who is now 1-3 on the year, also had
Angie Juste-Jean and
B'Aunce Carter get 10 points apiece.
"We played some great competition before tonight, so it was good to see them play like this and get a win they can enjoy," said first-year head coach
Kevin Pederson. "That's what we want to see from Arin (seven assists and six steals). We know Arin can score. I was proud of her today. And I am so blessed to have Aja come back to this team."
Coker, an NCAA Division II program that is now 3-2 on the season, was led by Dominique Rodriguez, who had eight points.
Blount scored her team's first seven points and started a scoring spree that put the Chanticleers in command the rest of the way. Newsome scored 10 points and Blount had six in a big 26-2 run that lifted CCU to an insurmountable 29-6 advantage.
Freeman added eight points in the second quarter and
Miriam Recarte capped a 10-0 run that gave Coastal a 57-20 lead before Coker got a closing free throw to make the score 57-21 at the half. Coastal already had three players in double figures at the half – Blount with 14, Freeman with 13, and Newsome with 10.
The Chants had an early second-half run of 13-2, with Blount and Freeman each scoring four points. Coastal reached the century mark on a baseline jumper from Newsome with 38 seconds remaining, before extending its lead to 66 points on a three-pointer from
Helena Delaruelle in the final seconds.
Coastal shot 40-of-68 from the field (59 percent) and outrebounded Coker 50-22, with Recarte getting nine in support of Blount's team-high total.
CCU will return to action at Wake Forest on Sunday at 4 p.m. ET, before the Chants return to the HTC Center to host S.C. State at 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Nov. 30. The Chanticleers also have three home games in December – Dec. 11 versus Furman, Dec. 15 versus Erskine, and Dec. 18 against UNC Wilmington.
For complete coverage of CCU women's basketball, follow the Chants on social media @CoastalWBB (Twitter), facebook.com/CCUChanticleers (Facebook), @GoCCUSports (Instagram), or visit the official home of Coastal Carolina Athletics at www.GoCCUsports.com.
