Conway, S.C. – Jayden Marable scored a season-high 23 points to lead four players in double figures for Coastal Carolina as the Chanticleers led nearly all the way in racing out to an 86-70 win over Arkansas State in a Sun Belt conference women's basketball game Saturday afternoon at the HTC Center.
 
Marable, a fifth-year senior point guard from Bolingbrook, Ill., finished 10-of-13 from the field and added 10 rebounds and eight assists in helping Coastal to its eighth consecutive victory. The win lifts the Chants to 21-6 overall and 11-5 in the conference.
 
Marable, who collected her second double-double of the season, was supported by Alancia Ramsey, who had 19 points, while Mallory Bruce and Kristin Williams added 18 and 10 points respectively. Jaylen Ponder stepped up with six points and a season-high 13 rebounds. For the second game, Coastal was without its leading scorer in guard Savannah Brooks, who remained sidelined with an injury.
 
"She had an outstanding game," noted head coach Kevin Pederson of Marable. "She is such a special player. She gets all the credit for the turnaround we made this season. She is just a big-time player. I'm just sad we only will have her for one season."
 
Coastal took the lead out of the gate and held a 24-point lead in the third quarter before fighting off a charge from Arkansas State, which slipped to 17-10 overall and 13-3 in the league. The Red Wolves pulled to with six points, at 72-66, before Marable led Coastal on a 14- 4 run to close the scoring.
 
Coastal turned the game into a track meet from the beginning, collecting defensive rebounds and running fast breaks. The Chants jumped out to an 18-4 lead, getting all of those points in less than two minutes, with all five starters contributing points.
 
Coastal continued to shine on offense with a 10-0 run in the second quarter, and when Williams hit a three-pointer to cap the run, the Chants had an 18-point lead, at 44-26. Bruce added a three-pointer seconds later that gave Coastal it's largest lead of the first half, at 47-28. It was 49-31 at the break, with Bruce's 14 points leading the way. Ponder had eight of her rebounds in the first 20 minutes.
 
Six quick points to open the third quarter extended Coastal's lead to 24, at 55-31. Marable had an assist and bucket in the run. But Arkansas State mounted a spirted charge, with a 11-2 run that put them down just 14 at the end of the third quarter, 65-51.
 
Five more consecutive points brought the Red Wolves to within 68-59 with 8:30 left in the game. They then pulled to within six, at 72-66 at the four-minute mark before Marable led Coastal on a 14-4 run down the stretch, as she scored six points and had a pair of assists.
 
Coastal finished with one of its best shooting performances of the season. The Chants shot 57 percent from the field (36-of-63) and held a 48-37 rebounding edge. The Chants also had 18 assists on its 36 field goals.
 
Coastal will play its final two regular season games at home next week. The Chants will host Old Dominion at 5 p.m. Wednesday and then Appalachian State at 5 p.m. Friday.
 
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.