WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Coastal Carolina women's basketball team fell 76-61 on the road to the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in Winston-Salem, N.C., on Sunday evening. With the loss, the Chanticleers fell to 1-4 on the young season, while Wake Forest improved to 4-3 overall.
 
Coastal was led by Aja Blount with 20 points, while Miriam Recarte and Arin Freeman added 17 and 10 points, respectively. As a team, the Chants grabbed 36 rebounds with Blount snagging eight boards while Recarte grabbed seven rebounds. Blount was 7-of-12 overall, including hitting a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line. Recarte finished the night 6-of-9 from the field which included going 5-of-7 from long range.
 
The Deacs were led by Jewel Spear with 30 points, as the junior guard was 8-of-11 from the floor including going 7-of-9 from behind the three-point arc. Elise Williams and Niyah Becker finished with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Wake won the rebounding battle with 38 boards, as Olivia Summiel grabbed nine rebounds to go with her six points.
 
In the opening period, the Demon Deacons raced out to a 16-3 advantage forcing the Chanticleers to call a timeout with 4:20 remaining in the first quarter. Coming out of the break, CCU's Freeman answered with a pull-up jumper in the paint to attempt to stop the home team's momentum.
 
However, Wake scored three quick points to push its lead to 19-5 only to see Coastal's Freeman hit a second jumper in the paint and then connected with a fast break layup to cut the home team's lead to 10 at 19-9. The Deacons closed the first quarter with a 6-2 run for a 27-11 lead at the end of the first quarter.
 
The Chants opened the second quarter with back-to-back baskets by B'Aunce Carter and Blount to spark a 12-2 run which included a Recarte three-pointer and was capped off by an old-fashioned three-point play by Blount to cut the lead to six at 29-23.
 
The two teams traded the next 10 points, including a second old-fashioned three-point play by Blount and a Wake Forest three-pointer by Spear, to give the home team a 37-28 advantage. Coastal closed the second quarter with Helena Delaruelle hitting 2-of-3 from the free throw line as the Chanticleers trailed 37-30 at the intermission.
 
Wake Forest opened the second-half action with the first four points to take a 41-30 lead before Coastal Carolina answered with eight quick points as Recarte sandwiched a Blount layup with a pair of three-pointers to force the Deacs to call an early timeout holding a three-point lead at 41-38 in the third quarter.
 
Coming out of the timeout, Wake Forest tallied a 10-3 burst to push its lead to 51-41 at the media timeout, with the lone basket by Coastal a three-pointer by Deaja Richardson. After the break, Coastal's Recarte hit a long range shot at the top of the key which was followed by a pair of free throws by Blount to keep the visitors from Conway down by 10 at 56-46. The two squads traded the next eight points as the Chants went into the final quarter down 60-50.
 
Trailing by 10 to start the fourth quarter, CCU's Blount twice cut the score to eight as the Northampton, Pa., native scored from the free throw line at 60-52 and sunk a hook shot to trail at 62-54. After the Deacons hit 1-of-2 from the free throw line, Coastal's Blount hit a put back jump shot to pull the Chants to within seven at 63-56.
 
However, Wake Forest scored nine unanswered to go up 71-56 before CCU's Richardson stop the surge with a layup. However, the home team scoredd five of the next eight points, as a Recarte three-pointer closed out the scoring for the final margin of 76-61.
 
Coastal Carolina will return to action on Wednesday, Nov. 30, as the Chanticleers will host the S.C. State Bulldogs at the HTC Center on the campus of Coastal Carolina University in Conway, S.C. The opening tip is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET and is a doubleheader with the CCU men's basketball team.
 
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.