CONWAY, S.C. – Coastal Carolina's Aja Blount led three Chanticleers in double-digit scoring as the women's basketball team picked up a 68-53 win over the UNCW Seahawks on Sunday afternoon in Conway, S.C. With the win, the Chants improved to 5-5 on the year, while UNCW dropped to 2-7 on the season.
 
CCU's Blount finished with a game-high 19 points, while Anaya Barney and Miriam Recarte chipped in with 13 and 12 points, respectively. Arin Freeman just missed double digits with nine points, but the sophomore point guard and Barney both had four assists each.
 
Defensively, the Chanticleers forced 19 turnovers and turned them into 17 points with nine coming on the fast break. Coastal was outrebounded 35-30, with Freeman and Deaja Richardson grabbing six and five boards, respectively.
 
The Seahawks' leading scorer Carrie Gross had 17 points while Lexi Jackson recorded a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Britany Range and Jayde Gamble finished with six points apiece.

 

Coastal took a 2-0 lead early as Blount put the home team up front with a layup with just 56 seconds expiring from the game clock. UNCW answered with a Micah Hoggett old-fashioned three-point play to take the lead it would hold until the third quarter. After the Seahawks increased their lead to 5-2, the Chanticleers answered with an and-1 as Barney was fouled on a floating jump shot to pull within one at 5-4.
 
However, UNC Wilmington forced Coastal Carolina to call an early first-quarter timeout after a Jackson layup. Coming out of the timeout, both teams traded baskets with the visitors from Wilmington, N.C., maintaining their lead at 11-9. The Seahawks pushed their lead to six twice, including at 17-11 to end the first period.
 
In the second quarter, the Chanticleers cut into the UNCW lead at 21-18, sparked by a Helena Delaruelle layup and capped by a Richardson fast break driving layup to force the visiting team to call a timeout. The Seahawks pushed their lead back to six at 24-18 with four unanswered points just before Arielle-Vadrelle Belinga scored three points the old-school way with a layup and a free throw to make it 24-21.
 
After a pair of UNCW free throws increased the lead to 26-21, Coastal closed the first-half scoring with Belinga and Barney hitting four free throws. The Chanticleers thought they had tied it at the final first-half horn but the Chants had a shot waved off as the replay showed the ball was still in the shooter's hand as time expired.
 
Despite trailing by two at the intermission, Coastal started the third quarter with Blount scoring eight of the first 11 second-half points to put the Chanticleers in front 33-29. The Seahawks cut the Chants' advantage to 36-35, only to see Coastal Carolina finish the third quarter with an 8-3 run, highlighted by three-point jump shots by Barney and Recarte for the 44-38 lead.
 
Coastal opened the final quarter with an 8-2 surge to push its advantage to 52-40, sparked by a Barney three-point jump shot and capped by a Barney step-back jump shot just outside the paint. After CCU's Freeman forced a turnover, the Seahawks called a quick timeout.
 
Both teams traded a pair of free throws before Coastal tacked on another 3-of-4 from the free throw line to increase the Chanticleer's advantage to 57-47. After a Gross layup would pull UNCW to within 13 at 57-44, CCU pushed its lead to 17 at 61-44, highlighted by Blount scoring her 19th point by hitting her ninth consecutive free throw.
 
Coastal's Recarte gave the home team its largest lead of the game at 64-46 with a long-range three-pointer at the top of the key. UNCW hit back-to-back layups to cut the lead to 64-50 only to see the Chanticleers hit a pair of free throws by Freeman and Richardson, which was then followed by a layup after a steal in the backcourt to push CCU's lead to 68-50. The Seahawks closed out the scoring with a three-point play as Jackson was fouled with 11 seconds left to play in regulation.
 
The Chants shot 33.9 percent overall on 19-of-56 from the field, while the visitors finished with a 33.3 shooting percentage were at 18-of-54 from the floor. Both teams were efficient from the free throw line, as CCU was 26-of-31 for 83.9 percent, while the Seahawks finished 16-of-18 for 88.9 percent.
 
Coastal Carolina will return to action on Wednesday, Dec. 21, as the Chanticleers will close out the non-conference schedule on the road in Columbia, S.C., versus the No. 1 team in the nation in the South Carolina Gamecocks. The tip-off is scheduled for noon 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.