Conway, S.C. – Kylan Blackmon scored 20 points to lead five Coastal Carolina players in double figures, but it still wasn't enough, as Winthrop built a 13-point lead in the second half and held on for a 90-87 win in a non-conference game Saturday afternoon at the HTC Center.
Coastal was down by 58-45 at the 14-minute mark before the Chants mounted a rally and took the lead momentarily, at 68-65 on Blackmon's three-pointer. But Winthrop recovered with Doucet hitting back-to-back three-pointers, giving the visitors a 76-71 lead with four minutes remaining, and the Cougars held a narrow lead the rest of the way. The closest Coastal got was 88-87 on Jacob Meyer's driving layup with 13 seconds left. And after a pair of made free throws by 6'10" reserve center Alex Timmerman, Coastal's three-point attempt to tie the game by reserve guard Henry Abraham came up just short at the final buzzer.
"It was a good look," said Coastal head coach Cliff Ellis of his team's final attempt. "We are so close, but we just can't seem to find it. We have to tighten things up on the boards. Frankly, I'm befuddled by it. They killed us on the glass and dominated us inside. One thing stands out: rebounding. They let us play and Winthrop won the physical battle."
Blackmon made 8-of-12 shots on his way to 20 points, the second time he has reached 20 points this season. Frontline players Kevin Easley and Jimmy Nichols had 15 points apiece, while strongman center John Ojiako again had a double-double, with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Meyer, a freshman guard, hit for 10 points, including five of them in the final minute. With the loss, Coastal slips to 2-5 for the season.
Timmerman and K.J. Doucet combined for 43 points (21 and 22 points, respectively), and Kasen Hansen added 17 for the Cougars, who improved to 6-3 for the season.
In a fast-paced first half, Coastal got a little breathing room when Nichols and Ojiako combined for eight points in the Chants' 8-0 run, making it a 27-20 lead for CCU. But Timmerman came off the bench to spark Winthrop in the closing minutes of the first half. The Bucknell graduate transfer scored 12 points in the last six minutes, lifting Winthrop to an 11-point lead, 47-36, at the break. Timmerman made the most of his time, with 14 points in 11 minutes of action in the first half, hitting on 6-of-7 field goal attempts.
Blackmon led Coastal with eight points in the first half, hitting both of his three-point attempts and a baseline jumper.
Timmerman finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds in his 26 minutes of action. And while he was the only Winthrop player with double-figure rebounds, the Cougars held a massive advantage on the glass, at 51-36, with 28 offensive rebounds, leading to 25 second-chance points.
Coastal has two more home games upcoming this week. The Chants will host St. Andrews at 7 p.m. ET Monday and then welcome Wofford at 2 p.m. ET next Saturday, Dec. 9. Coastal will also have home games against NC A&T at 7 p.m. ET on Dec. 21 and against Troy at 2 p.m. Dec. 30 ET before the end of the calendar year.
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.
