CONWAY, S.C. – Deaja Richardson scored a game-high 28 points to lead Coastal Carolina, as the Chanticleers pulled away in the second half for a 73-49 win over UNC Pembroke in a non-conference women's basketball game Sunday afternoon at the HTC Center.
Coastal's Richardson was helped by senior forward
Makaila Cange, who added 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. The 28 points was just one shy of her season high and three off her career high, but it continued her streak of hitting for double figures in all eight of the games in which she has played this season. It was the second time this season that Richardson reached 20 or more points. She also had seven steals and three assists.
The contest was close until Coastal went on a 14-0 run early in the second half to take a 54-38 lead and coasted the rest of the way. CCU's fifth straight win over the Braves win lifted the Chanticleers to 5-5 on the season and snapped a four-game losing streak.
Coastal led for all but 50 seconds (in the second quarter) and closed the game on a 13-2 run to finish with 24-point advantage, its biggest of the afternoon.
"They packed in their defense, and when I see hands down on defense, I have to shoot it. There is no other option," said Richardson, who hit on 10-of-21 attempts from the field. "I am confident and my teammates count on me. I have to knock down my shots, so they leave my post players alone."
Coastal hit 7-of-15 three-point attempts in the second half and hit 13 -of-29 field goal attempts (45 percent). In contrast, UNC Pembroke hit just 6-of-33 (18 percent) from the field in the second half. The result was that the Chanticleers outscored the Braves 40-18 in the second half.
Point guard
Arin Freeman and reserve center
Riley Stack added nine points apiece in the win. Coastal outrebounded UNC Pembroke 46-34 with Freeman getting seven rebounds to help give the Chants the rebounding advantage.
It took a while for either team to find the bottom of the net, but Coastal managed a 13-10 lead after the first period, largely the result of UNC Pembroke shooting just 2-of-12 in the first nine minutes. The visiting Braves recovered and got a momentary lead at 18-17 but Richardson personally grabbed the momentum back for the Chants. She had 12 points in a 13-2 run from that point to give Coastal a 30-20 lead.
However, UNC Pembroke got the final six points of the second quarter, to pull within 33-31 at the break. Richardson already had 18 points and six steals at halftime. Kalaya Hall led the Braves with 11 points and finished with 18 to lead her team.
It stayed close until Coastal ripped off 14 consecutive points to run out to a 54-38 lead, holding UNC Pembroke scoreless for more than five minutes. Stack had the final five points in the run, including a three-pointer. Coastal was never threatened the rest of the way.
Coastal will now have four more away games in the calendar year before returning home again on Jan. 3 to host Southern Mississippi. That game will be the first in a four-game conference home stand to start 2024.
For complete coverage of CCU women's basketball, follow the Chants on social media @CoastalWBB (Twitter), facebook.com/CCUChanticleers (Facebook), @GoCCUSports (Instagram), or visit the official home of Coastal Carolina Athletics at www.GoCCUsports.com.
