CCU

Men's Basketball Loses to High Point, 79-64

       

Men's Basketball Loses to High Point, 79-64

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CONWAY, SC - Sophomore Adrian Gross (Galesville, Md./Southern) tallied the second double-double of his career with 16 points and 12 rebounds, but it was not enough as Coastal Carolina dropped its second consecutive Big South Conference game, this falling at the hands of High Point, 79-64, January 17 at Kimbel Arena.

It was a slow start for both team as neither team reached double figures until just over six minutes into the action when freshman forward Arizona Reid (Gaffney, S.C./Gaffney) jumper gave High Point the early lead of 10-5. Coastal would fight back to take the lead at 18-16 on a three-pointer by freshman Jack Leasure (Rochester, N.Y./McQuaid Jesuit). CCU would extend the lead to seven, 23-16, on a layup by senior forward Clint Nagel (Lovleand, Ohio/Moeller).

The trouble for CCU began when Leasure had a violent fall to the ground, as he attempted to corral a rebound, and was forced to leave the game. HPU senior guard Zione White (Spartanburg, S.C./West Plains JC) knocked down a three to cut the deficit to 23-19, starting the Panthers on a 22-4 run to end the half. Mark Wilson (Chicago, Ill./North Texas) would knock down a pair of threes and a layup in the run to put the visitors up 38-27 at the intermission.

The Chants would come out strong in the second half, cutting the deficit to seven, 43-36, on layup by Gross with 16:25 to play. But CCU would be unable to drawn any closer as High Point put together a small run of its own outscoring Coastal 13-4 to increase the lead back to fourteen at 54-40 with just over 12 minutes to go. CCU would attempt to fight back but couldn’t draw closer than eleven throughout the remainder of the game.

The Panthers hit on 52.1 percent (25-for-48) from the floor for the game, including 6-for-10 from the three-point arc, while CCU struggled from the field, shooting just 35.9 percent (23-for-64). Forthe game, junior guard Pele Paelay (Derwood, Md./Magruder) was the only other Chant to reach double figures, as he scored a team-high 18 points to led Coastal in defeat. The Panthers had three reach double figures, led by Wilson who was 8-for-10 from the field in scoring a game-high 21 points. White scored 14, including 4-of-7 from behind the arc, and senior center Jerry Echenique (Laceiba, Honduras/Highland (Ill) JC) scored 11 points. High Point got 50 points from its bench in the win, compared to just 17 for CCU.

The Chants take to the road for their next two games, traveling first to Winthrop, Sat., Jan. 22, at 4:30 p.m. The game follows the Lady Chanticleers taking on Winthrop’s women’s squad at 2 p.m.