BOONE, N.C. – Jomaru Brown scored 20 points, but it was not enough as Coastal Carolina fell 63-62 on a late basket to Appalachian State Thursday night at the Holmes Convocation Center in Boone, N.C.
In a game that featured 17 lead changes and seven ties, the Chants (7-7, 1-2 Sun Belt) trailed 61-58 with 1:21 left in the game when Brown scored on a floater in the lane to cut the lead to one. After an App State missed free throw, the Chanticleers ran the shot clock down before Brown drove to the basket and was fouled on the play. He hit both free throws with 8.4 seconds left in the game to put the Chants up 62-61.
The Mountaineers (8-8, 1-2 Sun Belt) came down and forced up a three-point attempt that missed its mark, but in a scramble for the loose rebound, App State's CJ Huntley was able to tip the ball to the rim, where after a couple of bounces, the ball fell through the net with less than one second remaining to give App State the one-point victory.
Brown had a solid all-around game for CCU, finishing with a game-high four steals and a team-high three assists, to go along with two rebounds.
Essam Mostafa reached double-digits, finishing the game with 11 points (all in the second half) and a game-high 11 rebounds. It was his 10th double-double of the season and the 32nd of his career.
Jimmy Nichols made the first start of his CCU career and responded with 12 points and five rebounds. Henry Abraham knocked down a team-high three, three-point field goals on his way to 11 points and three rebounds.
Tyree Boykin hit a game-high five three-point field goals to lead the Mountaineers in scoring with 16 points. Donovan Gregory and Tamell Pearson each added 12 points.
Neither team shot the ball well as App State finished the night shooting 40.9 percent (27-of-66) from the field, while CCU finished the game shooting 40.7 percent (24-of-59) from the field.
App State hit eight three-point field goals to the Chants' seven, while the Mountaineers could only manage to make one of their seven free throw attempts, with CCU connecting on seven of its eight chances from the foul line.
The Mountaineers took a 29-28 lead into halftime led by Pearson's 10 points off the bench and Gregory's eight.
Brown scored 10 of his 20 points in the first 20 minutes of play, while Abraham added eight.
CCU will play the second of four consecutive road games on Saturday, Jan. 7, when the Chanticleers face Marshall in a 3:30 p.m. ET tip from Huntington, W.Va.
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.
