CHEROKEE, N.C. – The Coastal Carolina women's basketball team fell 105-66 to the Michigan State Spartans championship game of the Cherokee Invitational in Cherokee, N.C., on Thursday night. With the loss, the Chanticleers drop to 6-7 on the season, while the Spartans improve to 10-2 overall with the win.
 
Coastal's Arin Freeman finished with a team-high 13 points each while getting help from Zaria Hurston with a career-high 12 points and Deaja Richardson with 10 points. Alancia Ramsey was the team's leading rebounder with eight rebounds with Riley Stack grabbing seven boards for the Chants. Coastal loss the rebounded battle to the Spartans 40-31 on the night.
 
Michigan State was led by Julia Ayrault with a game-high 32 points and was helped by Moira Joiner and Abbey Kimball with 19 and 18 points, respectively. Ayrault finished with a game-high nine rebounds to just miss a double-double. The Spartans opened the game hitting 8-of-12 from three-point range in the first period for a 66.7 shooting percentage. MSU finished 14-of-39 from behind the arc.
 
The first quarter began with Michigan State opening with an 24-5 advantage before CCU's Ramsey sparked a 6-2 run to cut the Spartan lead to 26-11. MSU responded with a 6-2 spurt of its own to increase its lead to 32-13 with 1:09 left in the period. Coastal closed the first period with the final three points to trail 32-16.
 
However, the Spartans began the second quarter with a 21-3 run to take a 53-19 lead before the Chants' Hurston scored back-to-back baskets to trail 53-23. After a Michigan State free throw, Coastal's Dalanna Carter sparked a 12-3 burst with an old-fashioned three-point play and capped off by a three-point jump shot by Richardson to trail 57-35 just before the halftime intermission.
 
The third quarter opened with the Spartans increasing their lead to 74-40 with a 17-5 run. The teams played even over the final 4:43 of the third period with MSU outscoring the Chanticleers 13-10 to take an 87-50 advantage with 10 minutes left to play in the game.
 
The final quarter of the contest saw Michigan State use an 18-6 burst to increase its lead to 105-56 with 4:12 left in regulation. Over the final 3:21, Coastal outscored the Spartans 10-0 for the final margin of 105-66, ignited by a pair of free throws from Ramsey and capped off by a layup by Arielle-Vadrelle Belinga.
 
Coastal Carolina will return to action on Saturday, Dec. 30, as the Chanticleers will open Sun Belt Conference play on the road in Jonesboro, Ark., against the Arkansas State Red Wolves. The tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET.
 
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.