Conway, S.C. – Savannah Brooks and Kristin Williams each scored season highs, with 26 and 23 points respectively, as Coastal Carolina pulled away in the second half for an 83-68 win over Georgia State in a Sun Belt conference women's basketball game Thursday afternoon at the HTC Center.
 
Brooks led the way with 26 points, while Williams scored 23 points. The duo combined for 11 three-pointers as Coastal used the long-range shot to pull out to a 17-point lead in the third quarter before coasting to its eighth home win without a loss. Williams finished 7-of-14 from long range after missing her first five long-range attempts. "I kept telling myself the next one is going in, until it did," said Williams.
 
Coastal finished 15-of-38 from beyond the arc, with Williams hitting seven of those in the final 22 minutes. Brooks contributed four buckets from long range and grabbed 10 rebounds, for her first double-double of the season. "She played lights out today," said Coastal head coach Kevin Pederson of Brooks' effort.
 
"We started the game 2-of-16 from the three-point line, but we had the keep shooting them. And we hit a stretch where we made 10-of-13 and turned the game around," noted Pederson. "We had to drive the pace. We played with our small lineup and it changed the game."
 
Mallory Bruce also hit for double figures with 14 points, while Jayden Marable added nine points and four assists. Coastal is now 13-3 overall and 4-2 in the league.
 
Mya Williams was one of four players in double figures for Georgia State, which fell to 7-10 overall and 1-5 in the Sun Belt.
 
Coastal grabbed the lead by scoring five consecutive points, taking a 14-9 lead late in the first quarter. But the Chants didn't lead by more than six until a 14-4 scoring spree in the last 1:17 of the second quarter. Williams hit three three-pointers in the run, including a long bank shot at the buzzer that gave Coastal a 40-29 advantage at the break. Brooks already had 15 points and seven rebounds after the first two quarters, while Williams had 11 points.
 
The lead grew to 12 points when Brooks made a three-pointer in the first minute of the third quarter. But the Panthers regrouped with a 9-0 run to cut the Chants' lead to just three, at 43-40. Fortunately, Brooks and Williams weren't finished hitting from long range.
 
Coastal immediately countered with a 15-5 run, as Williams hit a pair of three-pointers and Brooks added a third, giving Coastal a 58-45 lead. Another three ball from Williams gave CCU a 17-point margin, at 64-47, late in the third quarter. In all, Coastal had five players who made three-point shots. It was the second most three-pointers for Coastal this season. The Chants made 18 versus South Carolina State.
 
Coastal will return to the HTC Center to face James Madison at 1 p.m. Saturday. After that, the Chants will have two road games before coming back home to host Marshall at 6 p.m. Jan. 29, and Louisiana at 1 p.m. Feb. 1.
 
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.