MOUNT PLEASANT, MICH. – Transfer guards Kristin Williams and Savannah Brooks lead the Coastal Carolina women's basketball team to a 65-62 come-from-behind win over the Central Michigan Chippewas at the McGuirk Arena to open the 2024-25 season.
 
The Chanticleers outscored the Chippewas 43-30 to come from behind with the final three points coming from an old-fashioned three-point play by Brooks to cap the scoring in the season opener for both teams. Brooks hit the game-winner with 10 seconds left to play and followed with the And1 after a foul by CMU.
 
Williams and Brooks led the Chanticleer (1-0) offense with a game-high 17 points each, while Mallory Bruce, Jayden Marable, and Riley Stack added nine and six points, respectively. Alancia Ramsey and Anaya Barney added five points apiece, while Marable had six assists. CCU shot 39.3 percent from the floor going 34-for-61, including 9-of-25 from behind the three-point arc.
 
Defensively, Stack grabbed a team-high eight rebounds and blocked three CMU shots. Williams and Brooks tallied six and five boards with Brooks swiping the ball four times.
 
Central Michigan (0-1) was led by Madi Morson (13), Demetria Prewitt (10), and Jess Lawson (10) with double-digit points, while Lisa Tesson finished with seven points for the Chippewas. Central Michigan was 34-for-62 for a 38.7 percent from the field including 3-of-21 from three-point range.
 
Prewitt (10) and Lawson (10) combined for 20 rebounds as CMU won the rebound battle 45-33. Tesson finished with four steals while Lawson and Mayla Ham had one steal each.
 
The Chippewas opened the scoring as Lawson hit a layup followed by a Ramsey layup to allow the Chants to even the score at 2-2. Central Michigan opened a three-point advantage after a Morson three-point play. CCU hit back-to-back baskets as Ramsey and Williams combined for five points to give the Chants their first lead at 7-5. CMU used a 7-0 burst to take a 12-7 lead before Coastal's Brooks hit a driving layup to cut the deficit to 12-9. A second 7-0 spurt by Central Michigan closed the scoring in the first quarter as the Chips led 19-9.
 
The Chanticleers' Ramsey opened the scoring in the second period only to see the Chippewas increase their lead to 29-12 with a 10-3 run. Barney and Brooks scored the next eight points to cut the CMU to nine at 29-20. The two teams traded the final five points of the half with CMU leading 32-22.
 
Central Michigan increased its lead to 14 at 38-24 to start the second half with a 6-2 surge. With 6:13 left to play in the third quarter, Coastal began to mount its comeback as Williams and Brooks scored the next five points to cut the Chippewas lead to 38-29. After a CMU jumper, Coastal cut the lead to seven at 40-33 with a basket by Barney and free throws by Stack.
 
The Chippewas opened a 12-point advantage at 47-35 before CCU outscored Central Michigan 9-2 over the final 1:58 minutes of the third period.
 
The Chants began the final 10 minutes of action with an 11-4 burst, which included Williams scoring six points in 3:13 to take a 55-53 lead. CMU retook the lead by scoring six straight points to lead 59-55. The two teams traded the next six points with the Chants trailing 61-59. Coastal retook the lead at 62-61 on a Williams three-pointer before Central Michigan evened it at 62-62 by going 1-of-2 at the free throw line before CCU's Brooks late-game heroics for the season-opening win.
 
Coastal Carolina will remain on the road as the Chanticleers will travel to Charleston, S.C., for a meeting with in-state foe Charleston Southern on Sunday, Nov. 10. The opening tip is scheduled for 1 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 goccusports.com.