CONWAY, S.C. – Vince Cole scored a game-high 16 points to lead five players in double figures as Coastal Carolina came from behind in the second half to earn a 73-63 upset win over Troy in a Sun Belt Conference game Saturday afternoon at the HTC Center. 
 
Cole had a shaky start but came on strong when his team needed him the most. The sharp-shooting senior who is averaging 18 points in conference play, was helped by Rudi Williams, who had 13 points, and Essam Mostafa, who had 12. Josh Uduje and Ebrima Dibba had 11 points apiece. Dibba had seven of his team's last 10 points and dished out a team-high seven assists.
 
The win improved Coastal's record to 14-12 overall and 6-8 in the Sun Belt. Troy's balanced scoring was led by Duke Deen and Nick Stampley, who had 10 points each. The loss was only the second for the Mavericks in the last seven games, as they slipped to 18-9 and 9-5.
 
Coastal took the lead with an 8-0 run to start the second half and then got a little breathing room with a 13-0 run that included three three-pointers, giving the Chanticleers a 12-point lead at 57-45 with 10 minutes remaining. They would lead the rest of the way. The Trojans didn't quit, however, and closed to within 66-63 before Coastal closed out the scoring by making 7-of-8 free throws in the final 1:30.
 
"The guys fought hard. We needed this one," said an elated Coastal head coach Cliff Ellis, who quickly pointed to his team making free throws down the stretch. "We hit free throws. That was the difference. We have been so close, and if we had made free throws, we would have won many more games. This was a great team effort and I'm very proud of them. This will give us some momentum."
 
Mostafa paced the Chanticleers from the inside in the first half with eight points and six rebounds. There were five lead changes and three ties before Troy broke on top, making five three-pointers to close the half and hold a slim 36-33 advantage. The Trojans already had eight players with points. In contrast, Coastal relied on its starting five, which got 26 of the Chants' 33 points. 
 
There were five more lead changes in the second half before Coastal took the lead for good on Cole's three-pointer with 13 minutes left, making the score 47-45. He followed with another bucket from long range on the Chants' 13-0 run.
 
Mostafa and Williams led Coastal with nine rebounds apiece, giving the Chants a slim 36-35 edge on the boards. Garrick Green chipped in with five rebounds and seven points after finding his way back to the starting lineup. Each team shot 40 percent from the field, but the difference was Coastal's tight defense on the perimeter in the second half. Troy was only 2-of-15 from three-point range in the final period after hitting six from beyond the arc in the first half.
 
Coastal will conclude the regular season with road games at Arkansas State and Little Rock next week before heading to the Sun Belt Conference championship, which begins March 3 at the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Fla.
 
For complete coverage of CCU men's basketball, follow the Chants on social media @CoastalMBB (Twitter), facebook.com/CCUChanticleers (Facebook), @GoCCUSports (Instagram) or visit the official home of Coastal Carolina Athletics at goccusports.com.