CCU

Men's Basketball Drops Tight Game With Charleston Southern

       

Men's Basketball Drops Tight Game With Charleston Southern

CONWAY, S.C. -- In a battle of league leaders, Coastal Carolina was in a war from the start, eventually falling to visiting Charleston Southern, 72-69, Jan. 18. With the loss, the Chanticleers fall to 9-7 and 2-2 in Big South Conference play, while the Buccaneers go to 9-7 and 3-1 in league play.

This was a tight game throughout the entire contest. Charleston Southern controlled the early part of the game, building a lead of eight points on two occasions, but Coastal fought back to tie it at 33 before going into the lockerroom trailing by three, 38-35 at the intermission.

The Bucs again built a seven-point lead in the early part of the second half, but after the Chants tied it at 51-51 with 12:06 to play, neither team built more than a five-point lead. Coastal led 64-63 with just over four minutes to play, but that would be their last lead, as a pair of CCU turnovers would lead to a 69-64 lead that would eventually be the difference. Coastal had one last chance but a desperation three-pointer rimmed off in the closing seconds.

Shooting was the difference in the game, as Charleston Southern hit on 45.6 percent from the field while holding the Chants to just 40 percent.

Coastal was led by junior guard E.J. Gallup with 20 points while senior forward Torrey Butler posted his third double-double of the season with 19 points and a career-best 14 rebounds. Charleston Southern was paced by Charles White with 18 points, while three other Buccaneer starters tallied double figures.

Coastal swing back into league action quickly, hosting Radford, Mon., Jan. 20 at 7 p.m. at Kimbel Arena.