Conway, S.C. – Kevin Easley scored 16 points to lead a balanced scoring attack for Coastal Carolina, but it wasn't enough to overcome Reyne Smith's game-high 24 points for Charleston, as the Cougars pulled away in the final minutes for an 80-72 win in a consolation game at the Myrtle Beach Invitational Sunday at the HTC Center.
Smith made six three-pointers to lead Charleston's hot hand from outside, and that was the difference. The Cougars made 17-of-43 from long range. Frankie Policelli helped the cause with 17 points, including several from beyond the arc to give Charleston the spark it needed down the stretch. Charleston is now 2-3 on the season.
Coastal held a 64-61 lead with just under five minutes remaining before Policelli hit three consecutive threes in a 13-0 run that pushed the Cougars to 74-64 advantage. Charleston added 6-of-6 from the free throw line in the final minutes to it 80-69, the Cougars' largest lead, before Coastal's
Kylan Blackmon hit a long-range bucket in the final seconds.
Easley had 16 points for Coastal, while Blackmon had 15, and
Jacob Meyer and
John Ojiako had 12 and 10 points, respectively, for the Chanticleers, who slipped to 1-3 on the season. Ojiako also had a team-high nine rebounds.
"It's a growing process. We competed and we were right there again," said Coastal head coach
Cliff Ellis. "We just turned the ball over a couple of times late and that gave them all the juice they needed. We just didn't get over the hump. But if we continue to compete, we will win games. I am not disappointed overall. But I am disappointed we let Smith get his threes. We were supposed to tag him everywhere he went."
Charleston showed its hand early, hitting four three-pointers to take an 18-10 lead, it's largest of the first half. It was still an eight-point lead at 36-28 before Coastal scored the last seven points of the period to make it 36-35 at the break. Sanders keyed the final minutes for Coastal with five points and a couple assists. He and Blackmon led the Chants at the halfway point with eight points apiece.
Charleston's Smith led all scorers in the first half with 11 points, including three buckets from long range. But Smith wasn't the only long-ball threat, as the Cougars got eight of their 12 buckets from beyond the arc in the first stanza.
Coastal's run wasn't done, however, as the Chants went on a 9-0 run after the break. They took their first lead at 38-37 on Blackmon's driving layup and a couple close-range buckets by Easley made it 44-37. In the combined runs, Charleston went six minutes without a field goal.
Ojiako had a bucket and an assist in a 7-0 run for Coastal, that gave the Chants a 64-61 advantage with five minutes left. But Policelli hit his three three-pointers over the next minute, giving Charleston the spark, it needed to close strong.
Simply, it was Charleston's outside shooting that sealed the outcome. Charleston was 17-of-43 from beyond the three-point line, and only had six buckets from closer than that. In contrast, Coastal was 7-of-19 from three-point range and had three more total field goals. The rebound totals were nearly even, at 42-41 in favor of Charleston.
Ante Brzovic, at 6'10", led all rebounders with 11. But he also stepped out to make three from long range; his first three-pointers on the season. Coastal had more of a committee rebounding effort, with nine players getting at least one rebound. In addition to Ojiako's nine, Easley and
Miroslav Stafl each had six. Stafl, a reserve inside player at 6'11", got his boards in just 11 minutes of play.
Coastal will move on to resume its regular season schedule with a home contest against North Carolina Central at 2 p.m. ET next Sunday, Nov. 26. It is the first of five home games in 14 days for the Chants, through Dec. 9.
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.
