CONWAY, S.C. – Coastal Carolina rallied back from a 19-point deficit late in the third quarter, but saw its comeback bid fall short in an 80-70 loss to Appalachian State on Senior Day at the HTC Center.
 
Coastal (8-16, 2-9 SBC) was led by 25 points from Arin Freeman and a double-double from Makaila Cange, who finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds. App State (11-11, 5-6 SBC) got 18 points from Faith Alston and 16 points and eight rebounds from Taylor Lewis.
 
The Mountaineers held Coastal to 24-of-71 (33.8 percent) shooting from the floor and 5-of-16 (31.3 percent) from long-range. App State finished 24-of-51 (47.1) from the field and 15-of-29 (51.7 percent) from deep. Coastal scored 22 points off 20 Mountaineer turnovers and outscored App State 36-16 in the paint.
 
Appalachian State opened the game with a 7-2 run and led by as many as eight in the opening period before Freeman's three-pointer at the buzzer cut the Mountaineers' lead to 21-16 entering the second quarter. The teams traded baskets early in the quarter before App State knocked down a pair of threes in an 8-1 run that pushed the lead to 34-21 with 6:28 left in the half.
 
Alancia Ramsey answered for the Chants with five consecutive points to trim the deficit to eight and a pair of free throws from Freeman put Coastal within six with 2:58 to go before halftime. However, the Mountaineers scored 10 of the next 16 points to take a 47-37 lead into the locker room.
 
The Chants' deficit grew as large as 19 points in the third quarter as CCU went 5-of-19 from the field in the period and was out-rebounded 14-6 by the Mountaineers. Trailing by 17 entering the fourth quarter, Coastal turned to Cange, who scored six consecutive points to open the period and make the score 66-55 with 8:23 remaining. A layup from Cange pulled the Chanticleers within single digits, 70-61, with 6:20 on the clock. Cange drained a three-pointer and Ramsey followed with a put back to make the score 73-66 with 2:48 to play. However, App State answered with its own three to extend the lead to double digits.
 
Coastal Carolina mounted one final rally in the closing minutes as Ramsey and Freeman each converted two free throws to pull the Chants within six with 1:34 left in the game. However, the Mountaineers closed the game with four free throws to wrap up the 80-70 victory.
 
The Chanticleers host Texas State on Wednesday, Feb. 7, in Conway for a 6:00 p.m. tipoff.
 
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