Conway, S.C. – Jordan Battle scored a game-high 20 points, but Coastal Carolina still came up a bit short in a 61-59 loss to Old Dominion in a Sun Belt conference game Friday night at the HTC Center. The Chanticleers trailed for most of the game but fought back to take the lead at 59-57 before the Monarchs scored the final four points.
Coastal had a last attempt to win it, but RaSheed Jones' three-point effort from the right corner fell short at the buzzer.
Battle, a 6'2" junior from Chesapeake, Va., hit for 20 or more points for the third time on the season, and he was joined by two others in doubles figures. Colin Grainger scored 18 points and Josh Meo added 10. Jones was held to just five points, but he hit the three-pointer that capped a late 6-0 run that gave Coastal a 56-55 lead, its first advantage since the Chants were in front, 7-6. Meo's three-pointer made it 59-57 with a minute remaining, but the Chants couldn't get another point.
"We turned the ball over in some key moments," said Coastal head coach following the game. "We can hold our heads high. It was our mistakes that beat us, not our lack of effort or our attitude. RaSheed made some big plays for us, but we came up short."
The loss drops Coastal to 10-21 overall and 3-15 in the league. Old Dominion improved to 12-19 overall and 8-10. The Monarchs also won the first meeting of the season in Virginia.
Battle was personally responsible for Coastal staying close in the first half. He scored the final 11 points for the Chanticleers as CCU trailed by 27-24 at the break. Battle got his first points on a breakaway dunk and then made all three of his long-range attempts after that.
Coastal kept it close in the second half and pulled to within a point on three occasions before taking a momentary lead in the final two minutes.
Coastal shot 35 percent for the game and out-rebounded Old Dominion, 44-39.
Noah Amenhauser, the Chants' 7'2" sophomore, led the Chants with 10 rebounds, but he went scoreless only the second time this season.
Coastal now heads to the Sun Belt Championship Tournament, set for March 4-10 at the Pensacola (Fla.) Bay Center.
For complete coverage of CCU men's basketball, follow the Chants on social media @CoastalMBB (Twitter), facebook.com/CCUChanticleers (Facebook), @GoCCUSports (Instagram) or visit the official home of Coastal Carolina Athletics at goccusports.com.
