Conway, S.C. – Kevin Easley scored 16 points to lead Coastal Carolina and Jacob Meyer scored the game-winning bucket with five seconds remaining as the Chanticleers outlasted USC Upstate, 72-70, in overtime in a non-conference basketball game Wednesday night at the HTC Center.
 
Coastal was five points down, at 70-65, before scoring the final seven points of the overtime, with Meyer hitting a three-pointer and the game-winner sandwiched around a pair of free throws by Jimmy Nichols. Meyer drove the lane for a contested layup and then Coastal held on as Jalen Breazeale missed a long three-point attempt at the buzzer.
 
Easley was helped on the frontline by John Ojiako, who had his second double-double in as many games, with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Nichols added 11 points and Kylan Blackmon had 10. Meyer finished with nine points, and all of them came after halftime. Easley, who played last season at Duquesne, got five of his points in the overtime, and grabbed 10 rebounds for the first double-double of his Coastal career. The win improved the Chants' record to 2-4.
 
"That was a hard-fought win, and just the medicine we needed," said Coastal head coach Cliff Ellis. "I'm proud of our team. We made it happen. We set a ball screen up top for Meyer at the end and he went down the lane."
 
Floyd Rideau scored 17 points to lead USC Upstate, including 12 of those in the final 25 minutes. After the score was tied at 58-58 at the end of regulation, he hit consecutive three-pointers in the overtime to help the Spartans take a 70-65 advantage with less than two minutes left. The loss dropped the Spartans' record to 3-5.
 
After seven lead changes in the early-going, Nichols tallied back-to-back baskets to put the Chants in front 18-15 midway through the first half. Coastal would not trail again until the overtime period. Ojiako then scored the last four points of the period to give CCU a 31-24 lead at the break.
 
Ojiako and Blackmon led the Chants with eight points apiece in the first 20 minutes, while Henry Abraham contributed six points and ran the show after starting point guard Jon Sanders got into early foul trouble. Abraham didn't score again, but Sanders came back in the second half to score seven points, with four assists and three steals.
 
Both Coastal and USC Upstate made 23 field goals on the night. The Chants made 10 more free throws, but USC Upstate erased that advantage by hitting eight more three-pointers. Coastal had an advantage along the frontline and exploited it, with a 49-34 rebounding advantage and 30 points in the paint.
 
Coastal will continue its home stand with contests at the HTC Center on Saturday and Monday. The Chanticleers will face Winthrop at 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday as part of a men's and women's doubleheader, and then host St. Andrews at 7 p.m. ET Monday.
 
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.