CONWAY, S.C. – The Coastal Carolina University men's basketball team will be on the road to face Sun Belt rival South Alabama in a semifinal game of The Basketball Classic presented by Eracism on Monday, March 28, at 8 p.m. ET at the Mitchell Center in Mobile, Ala.
CCU (18-13) defeated UMES 66-42 in The Basketball Classic Zelmo Beaty Classic first-round game and then defeated Florida Gulf Coast 84-68 in the quarterfinals to play their way into the Classic's final four.
South Alabama (21-11) opened The Basketball Classic with a 70-68 win over Southeastern Louisiana and followed that with an 83-79 win over USC Upstate. Monday's contest will be the Jaguars' third consecutive home game in The Basketball Classic.
CCU owns an 8-7 lead in the all-time series, but the Jags have won each of the past three meetings, including a 71-68 win in Conway back on Feb. 17, in which USA's Kayo Goncalves hit a three-pointer at the final horn to give the Jags the road win.
The Chants' play during the Classic has mirrored the regular season as the top four players have also led CCU in postseason play.
Rudi Williams has shot 52 percent from the field and 50 percent on his three-point field goals on his way to averaging 21.0 points per game. He also has averaged 4.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.0 steals over the two games.
Vince Cole has not shot the ball as well as he did in the regular season, but he has still averaged 15.0 points per game.
Ebrima Dibba is averaging 10.5 points per game and has continued to play all aspects of the game at a high level. He is averaging 6.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 2.0 steals during the Classic games.
Essam Mostafa has averaged a double-double during the postseason, averaging 13.0 points and 10.5 rebounds per outing, while shooting over 52 percent from the field.
USA is led in scoring by Charles Manning and his 15.4 points per game and his team-high 111 assists. Jay Jay Chandler is averaging 15.2 points per game, while Javon Franklin is averaging 12.0 points per game and is the Jags' leader on the boards averaging 7.7 rebounds per game.
Monday's game can be heard on WRNN Hot Talk 99.5 FM and viewed live on ESPN+. Links for both along with live stats can also be found at
www.GoCCUSports.com.
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 www.GoCCUSports.com.
