Conway, S.C. – Guards Jon Sanders and Kylan Blackmon combined for 33 points to lead Coastal Carolina, but it wasn't enough as Wofford used the three-point shot to pull away in the second half for an 88-80 win in a non-conference basketball game Saturday afternoon at the HTC Center.
 
Sanders and Blackmon were two of the four players in double figures for the Chanticleers. Sanders had 17, while Blackmon had 16. Jacob Meyer added 14 and John Ojiako had 13. Ojiako also had a team-high 10 rebounds to collect his fifth consecutive double-double. In the end, however, Coastal slipped to 3-6 on the season.
 
Wofford got 22 points from Jeremy Lorenz and 21 points from Dillon Bailey, both season highs, as the Terriers improved to 4-5 on the year with their third win in a row. Lorenz and Bailey were just two of the five players who hit three-pointers for Wofford, which went 17-of-44 from beyond the arc.
 
"At the end of the day, you've got to be able to play man-to-man defense. We didn't defend the three-point line and we didn't rebound well enough," said Coastal interim head coach Benny Moss after his first game at the helm. "Those things are 1a and 1b. But I give our guys some credit. They got it down and got the lead but couldn't hold it. We now have to get better one possession and one day at a time."
 
Wofford had three different players hit three-pointers in the early-going and the Terriers benefitted by taking a 22-8 lead, their largest of the first half. The visitors were still up by seven when Coastal mounted a 15-3 run over the final four minutes of the period to close the gap to just 40-39 at the break. Ojiako got the run started with a couple of inside buckets and then Blackmon closed it with three free throws. Sanders led Coastal with 11 points in the first half, while Bailey had 15 for Wofford.
 
Ojiako kept the momentum going with a couple inside buckets to start the second half, giving Coastal its only lead of the game, at 43-40. However, the lead lasted less than two minutes, as Wofford again found the range from beyond the three-point line and erupted to build a 15-point lead, at 84-69, with three minutes remaining.
 
The 17 threes by Wofford tied the season high allowed by the Chants, who were just 9-of-24 from long range. Coastal was also outrebounded by 41-36 and gave up 18 offensive rebounds. On the positive side, Coastal had just eight turnovers and 11 assists on 29 buckets.
 
Henry Abraham, the reserve point guard, played 17 minutes without a single turnover, and dished out two assists. Reserve forward Braeden MacVicar, a 6'11" freshman, came off the bench for nine points in 11 minutes, getting all of his points on three three-pointers (3-of-4). Jimmy Nichols also came off the bench for nine points and five rebounds.
 
Coastal will now play at the College of Charleston at 6 p.m. ET on Dec. 18 before returning to the HTC Center twice more before the close of the calendar year. The Chants will host NC A&T at 7 p.m. ET Dec. 21 and then Troy at 2 p.m. ET Dec. 30.
 
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