HUNTINGTON, W. Va. – The Coastal Carolina women's basketball team came up just short, 97-85, against the Marshall Thundering Herd on Saturday afternoon in Huntington, W.V. With the loss, the Chants drop to 7-13 overall and 1-6 in league play, while Marshall improves to 13-5 on the year and 7-0 in Sun Belt action with the victory.
 
Coastal's Deaja Richardson finished with a game-high 26 points, while getting help from Arin Freeman (20) and Alancia Ramsey (16) as they were the only Chants to score in double digits. Makaila Cange was the team's leading rebounder with eight rebounds, while Freeman and Ramsey added five boards each.
 
Marshall had four players record 12 or more points with Abby Beeman and Aislynn Hayes scoring a team-high 22 points apiece and was aided by Sydni Scott and Meredith Maier with 14 and 12 points, respectively. Aislynn Hayes grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds to record a double-double for the Thundering Herd.
 
Coastal led 4-0 in the early stages of the game as Ramsey opened the scoring with a layup and Dalanna Carter followed with a pair of free throws. After a three-point jumper by Scott, CCU's Richardson sandwiched a second three pointer with a layup, a long-range bomb, and a jump shot to give the Chants a 11-6 lead with 6:43 left to play in the opening quarter.
 
However, Marshall made its third three-point jumper that was followed up by a layup by the Chanticleers' Freeman to push the lead to 13-9. The Herd answered with their first two-point basket on a layup by Maier that was answered by a pair of free throws by Richardson as Coastal led 15-11. Marshall used an 8-2 burst to take its first lead of the game at 19-17, and the Thundering Herd closed the first quarter by outscoring the Chants 6-4 to lead 25-21.
 
The second quarter began with the Chanticleers closing the deficit to 27-26 as Ramsey scored three straight points in a 5-2 run for Coastal. However, Marshall increased its lead to 49-31 with a 22-5 surge over the final six minutes of the second quarter.
 
Marshall began the third quarter with a 6-2 spurt to push its lead to 55-33 before the Chanticleers responded with a 9-4 run to trail 59-42. After a three-point jump shot by the Herd, Coastal outscored Marshall 11-6 to trail 68-53, sparked by a Freeman layup and capped off by an old-fashioned three-point play by Ramsey. The two teams traded the final nine points of the third quarter as the Chants trailed 72-58 with 10 minutes left to play.
 
The Thundering Herd opened the final period with an 12-4 run to take an 84-62 lead with 8:17 left in regulation. Coastal cut the deficit to 85-70 with a 7-1 burst, highlighted by four points by Freeman. However, Marshall responded with a pair of three-point jumpers to sandwich layups by the Chants to lead 91-74. Over the final 3:29, Coastal outscored the Herd 11-8 for the final margin of 97-85, that included five points by Cange.
 
Coastal Carolina will return to action on Thursday, Jan. 25, as the Chanticleers travel to Lafayette, La. to meet the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns. The tip-off is scheduled for 6 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.