CONWAY, S.C. – The Coastal Carolina women's basketball team improved to 4-5 on the year with an 83-24 win over the Erskine Flying Fleet at the HTC Center on the campus of Coastal Carolina University on Thursday evening.
 
Coastal was led by Miriam Recarte with 13 points, as she was 4-of-6 from the floor, including 3-of-5 from three-point land. Aja Blount chipped in with 10 points in 15 minutes of action, while Deaja Richardson, Arin Freeman, and Arielle-Vadrelle Belinga added nine, eight, and a career-high eight points for the Chants.
 
Defensively, CCU turned 37 turnovers into 39 points and outrebounded the overmatched Flying Fleet 31-15. Blount and Belinga finished with a game-high six rebounds each.
 
Erskine did not have a player score over seven points, as Janelle Carter led the team with seven, while Shanece Mitchell finished with five points. The Flying Fleet's leading scorer on the season Anzya Cook totaled three points on 1-of-4 shooting from the floor. Albany Wilson grabbed five rebounds to lead the visitors.


 

Coastal called an early timeout after both teams traded baskets with just 1:27 expiring from the game clock and the score even at 2-2. The Chanticleers responded coming out of the break with a 26-2 run, highlighted by a defense that forced 13 turnovers leading to 20 first-period points in the opening quarter. Recarte came off the bench to hit a pair of long-range jumpers for seven points, while Freeman added six points.
 
In the second quarter, CCU pushed its lead to 31-2 with back-to-back baskets by Richardson and Blount. Erskine answered with three quick points as Mitchell hit a driving layup and followed that by going 1-of-2 from the free throw line. The Chants closed the first half with a 7-2 run to take a 38-8 halftime lead.
 
The 38-8 halftime score marked the first time since November 2015 that Coastal Carolina held an opponent under 10 points in the first half.
 
The Chanticleers opened the third period with a 7-0 burst to take a 45-8 lead as Richardson and Anaya Barney (six points) sandwiched a pair of free throws by Blount. After an Erskine basket, CCU answered with a second 7-0 surge, sparked by a layup by Blount and capped by a fast break layup by Freeman to take a 52-10 advantage.
 
The Flying Fleet answered with a driving layup by Mitchell, only to see Coastal Carolina close out the third quarter with a 12-0 run. The Chanticleers went up 64-12, sparked by a three-point jump shot by Angie Juste-Jean and capped by an old-fashioned three-point play as Amaya Adams hit a driving layup while getting fouled.
 
In the final 10 minutes of action, Coastal answered the visitor's 6-0 run with a 7-0 burst, sparked by a Brali Simmons three-pointer and topped off by a Belinga layup, to take a 71-18 advantage with 4:39 left to play in regulations. After the Flying Fleet knocked down a three-point shot, the Chanticleers answered with eight points, highlighted by four points by Simmons for a 79-21 lead.
 
Coastal closed out the scoring for the final margin, as Jordyn Newsome hit a three-pointer from the top of the key and Recarte followed that by going 1-of-2 from the free throw line for the 83-24 win over Erskine.



 
Coastal Carolina will return to action on Sunday, Dec. 18, as the Chanticleers will host the UNCW Seahawks at the HTC Center in Conway, S.C. The tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET.
 
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.