CHANTICLEERS WRAP UP REGULAR SEASON HOME SCHEDULE TONIGHT: Coastal Carolina will conclude the home portion of the regular season tonight against VMI, Mon., Feb. 20 at 7 p.m., with Senior Night ceremonies to honor Pele Paelay and Colin Stevens prior to the game.

SOME BIG ACCOMPLISHMENTS LOCKED UP: The Chanticleers have some significant accomplishments so far in the 2004-05 season. Coastal will post its first winning season, both overall and in the Big South, since 1993-94 when CCU was 15-11 and 10-8 in the league. Additionally, the Chants' 12 home victories this year are the most since the program went Division I during the 1985-86 season.

With their ninth Big South win this year, the Chants secured a home game for the first round of the Advance Auto Parts Big South Conference Tournament. The game will occur Tue., Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. at Kimbel Arena against an opponent to be determined this week.

THE COACHES: Coastal Carolina Head Coach Buzz Peterson (North Carolina, '86) is in his first season at the helm of the Chanticleers and holds a 181-118 overall coaching record in nine-plus seasons. Last season, Coastal posted a 10-19 mark, including 7-9 in Big South Conference play.

Duggar Baucom (UNC Charlotte, ’95) is in his first season at VMI with a 7-18 record and in his third year as a head coach overall with a 44-37 mark. Last season, VMI was 9-18 overall and 3-13 in the Big South, finishing ninth. The Keydets return four starters and eight letterwinners from last year's squad.

SERIES HISTORY: This is the sixth meeting in the brief series between the two schools, with Coastal having won all four previous meetings prior to this year's Big South opener loss at VMI, 88-77. Last year, the Chanticleers won the meeting at Kimbel Arena, escaping with a 75-70 victory. (Recaps and box scores of this year's and last year's meetings are available on page 8 and 9.)

PETERSON AGAINST THE KEYDETS: Current CCU head coach Buzz Peterson is very familiar with VMI, having coached Appalachian State for four years when it was in the Southern Conference with VMI. During that time, Peterson was 6-2 versus the Keydets. Additionally, Peterson picked up a seventh win over the Keydets during the 2002-03 season while at Tennessee. For his career, Peterson is now 7-3 against VMI.

THE FIRST YEAR IS A GOOD START: For head coach Buzz Peterson, he has already accomplished much in Coastal annals. Among first year CCU coaches, he has already led this team to more victories (15) and Big South wins (9) than any previous first year Coastal coach.

THEY SAY TALKING ABOUT STREAKS ISN'T GOOD: But for the Chanticleers, the current streak has been a good one. CCU has put together a seven-game winning streak, the longest since the school-record 11-game streak during the 1992-93 season.

KIMBEL HAS ITS ADVANTAGES: Coastal Carolina's Kimbel Arena may seat just over 1,000 fans, but it had been large for the Chanticleers the previous two seasons. Coastal was 9-1 in non-conference play during the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons, with the only loss a 73-72 heartbreaker to the College of Charleston early in the 2003-04 season. Coastal was a combined 17-9 at home over the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons, and finished 8-5 in 2004-05. CCU did open the 2005-06 home schedule with a resounding 70-35 victory over Coker. The Chanticleers are 12-1 this season at home and 37-15 (71.2 percent) overall in the last four years. The Chants' 12 home victories are the most since the program went Division I during the 1985-86 season.

THE LAST 10 MAKES OPPONENTS SEE STARS: Over the last 10 games, the Chanticleers have started to make the system of first-year head coach Buzz Peterson work for them. In the last 10, CCU has amassed a 9-1 record and been dominant defensively in those games. The Chanticleers average giving up just 62.9 points a game, with six of the 10 at 62 or less and all 10 of 72 or less. Coastal has knocked down 47.4 percent (257-for-542) while holding opponents to just 43.5 percent (219-for-504). The real key has been the possessions, as Coastal has outrebounded its opponents by 3.2 rebounds a game and forced an average of 2.8 more turnovers a game. Other areas have stepped up also, as Coastal has 30 blocks in the 10 games and the current five starters are all averaging at least 7.6 per game, with two (forwards Joseph Harris and Moses Sonko) averaging over 6.6 rebounds a contest.

A LESSON IN HOW TO WIN GAMES LATE: Coastal Carolina has been a great example of that over the last seven games, as CCU has strung together a seven-game winning streak. The last five minutes can be key in any game and Coastal has made that its own during the streak. Only in two games have the Chants led by more than eight going into the last five minutes and have trailed in two of the contests heading into that segment. Coastal has hit 74.4 percent (29-for-39) of its shots from the field in the last five minutes of this streak, including 53.8 percent (7-for-13) from the three-point arc. The Chants have limited opponents to just 38.0 percent (19-for-50) from the floor during the same time and outrebounded the opponents 32-17 down the stretch. Additionally, CCU has forced four more turnovers and hit 85.2 percent (23-for-27) of its free throw attempts in the closing minutes of these seven contests.

SOME KEY ITEMS FOR COASTAL’S VICTORIES: Several trends developed in regards to Coastal winning in the 2005-06 season. Coastal is 12-4 when leading at the break, 13-1 when ahead with five minutes to play and 11-2 when scoring at least 70 points. Defense is always a key, as Coastal is 11-1 when holding opponents to less than 70 points, as well as 10-3 when forcing at least 15 turnovers. The Chants are also 13-2 when giving up less than 15 turnovers and 11-2 when shooting at least 45 percent from the floor. Another interesting note is that when guard Jack Leasure leads Coastal is scoring, the Chants are 10-2.

FROM DOWNTOWN...BANG!: Sophomore Jack Leasure continues to believe -- and prove -- that outside the three-point arc is his domain. Through 24 games this season, the guard has hit 106 three-pointers, an average of 4.4 per game, and surpassing KeKe Hicks (1992-93) sophomore record of 83. His 106 triples currently rank second in a single season at CCU, just behind KeKe Hicks' single-season record of 115 during the 1993-94 season. Doug Day of Radford holds the league record with 117.

The success from the arc shows in the NCAA Division I national rankings. As of Feb. 13, he leads the nation in three pointers per game and 31st in three-point field goal percentage at 42.6 percent.

As a team, Coastal is also among the nation's leaders in triples. The Chanticleers are averaging 8.5 threes per game, which as of Feb. 6 ranks them 29th in Division I.

THE STARTING LINEUP HAS FIRMED UP: Coastal Carolina, under first year head coach Buzz Peterson, has tweaked the lineup throughout the first 17 contests of the year. In the first 17 games, the Chanticleers had nine different starting lineups. Three players (Pele Paelay, Jack Leasure and Moses Sonko) have started all 24 games. Guard Mario Sisinni joined the starting lineup in 12 of those contests.

However, CCU has used the same starting lineup in the last seven games, with Paelay, Leasure, Sonko, guard Colin Stevens and forward Joseph Harris out for the opening tip for the Chanticleers, posting a perfect 7-0 mark.

THE EQUATION IS SIMPLE FOR COASTAL: The Chanticleers will host a first-round game of the upcoming Advance Auto Parts Big South Conference Tournament at Kimbel Arena, Tue., Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. The only determination now is Coastal's seed, as CCU can lock up the third seed with either two wins or two Radford losses or any combination of those two that equals two, or if the Chants defeat Radford in the season finale for both schools. CCU could claim the second seed if it wins all its remaining games and Winthrop defeats Birmingham-Southern in the season finale.

AT YOUR LEASURE: Sophomore Jack Leasure was impressive on the offensive end of the floor in his freshman season. He averaged 14.5 points (seventh in the Big South) and hit 42.5 percent (85-of-200) from the three-point arc, second best in the Big South Conference. He also led the league and ranked 29th nationally in three-pointers per game with 2.93. Leasure improved his averages to 15.8 points (third in the Big South) and 2.8 rebounds per game in league play.

This season, Leasure leads the Chants in scoring, averaging a team-high 17.0 points a game (fifth in the Big South) and adding 3.3 rebounds. He has hit a league-best 106 three-pointers (4.4 per game), including a career-best nine in a win over Chowan, Dec. 19. He currently ranks third on CCU's all-time three-pointers chart with 191 in just 53 games. His nine three pointers tied for the second-best performance in school history, while his seven three-pointers against Coker, Nov. 30, and St. Andrews, Jan. 3, tied for the fifth best single games in Coastal history. He also ranks second the Big South with 4.4 assists per game and has added 42 steals (fifth in the Big South) so far this year.

After averaging 22.5 points a game during the week of Dec. 12-18, including a career-best 33 in the win over MEAC-preseason favorite South Carolina State, Leasure was named Big South Player of the Week for the first time in his career Dec. 19.

CLOSE CALLS IN THE BIG SOUTH A REGULAR FOR CCU: Games in the Big South are always a battle, and the last three years' numbers prove it for Coastal Carolina. In 2003-04, 11 of CCU's 16 Big South contests were decided by nine points or less, with Coastal holding a 4-7 mark in those games. Last year, CCU was 4-4 in its Big South games decided by nine or less.

Heading into today's game, four of the last nine games for the Chanticleers have each been decided by seven points or less, with CCU holding a 3-1 mark in those. The first two were by a single point, with Coastal defeating Charleston Southern, 63-62, Jan. 19, and then dropping the 70-69 overtime loss to Radford, Jan. 21. Coastal won at Winthrop, 64-57, Jan. 24, for its first road win of the year. The most recent was the thrilling 71-69 win at Charleston Southern, Feb. 9.

HARRIS MAKING A DIFFERENCE : Freshman forward Joseph Harris has grown throughout the season and it showed in the last two games. In the recent win over High Point, Feb. 6. Harris posted career-highs of 14 points and 16 rebounds for his first career double-double in leading the Chanticleers to the victory. The 16 rebounds tied the 10th-best single-game performance in school history and amazingly, of those 16 rebounds, 12 of them came in the first half. He then followed it up with his second consecutive double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds in the win at Charleston Southern, Feb. 9. He currently ranks 16th in the league in rebounding at 5.2 per contest, including 2.12 offensive boards per game (eighth in the league).

STEPPING UP THE DEFENSE: In their 15 victories, the Chanticleers have made the difference on the defensive end of the floor. In the 15 wins, Coastal has given up just 61.5 points per game and just 42.8 percent (317-for-741) shooting from the floor. Additionally, the Chants have forced 4.8 more turnovers a game in the wins, including 9.5 steals per game. Coastal has also outrebounded its opponents by 3.7 caroms a game in the 15 victories.

This doesn't mean Coastal hasn't been solid offensively as well in the wins. The Chants are averaging 76.7 points in the wins. They also have hit on 48.7 percent (415-for-853) of their shots from the floor, including 39.9 percent (138-for-346) from the three-point arc.

Individually, guard Jack Leasure has been the leader for the Chants in the 15 wins, averaging 20.5 points per game in the victories. Additionally, Leasure has hit 47.5 percent (103-for-217) of his shots from the floor, including 78 three pointers and 45.3 percent (78-for-172) shooting from beyond the arc. He also has 2.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2.2 steals per game in the 15 victories.

PAELAY REACHING THE ELITE MILESTONE: Senior guard Pele Paelay has proven his ability to score in his career and accomplished a milestone in the home win over Winthrop, Feb. 4. Early in the first half, Paelay knocked down his second three-pointer of the game and became the 13th member of Coastal's 1,000-Point Club. He currently ranks 12th with 1,078 points., just seven points behind DuWayne Cheatam (1988-91) for 11th.

PAELAY GETS IT DONE: Senior Pele Paelay made things happen offensively for Coastal in the 2004-05 season. Paelay knocked down a career-high 27 points and made it his first career double-double with 11 rebounds at Evansville, Nov. 23. He later followed up that performance with 22 points and 11 rebounds at UNC Greensboro, Nov. 23. Paelay had a career-high 38 points and eight rebounds in the win at VMI, Jan. 10. The 38 points are the sixth most in school history and best in the league this year, while his 14 field goals tied for third in CCU annals. For the season, Paelay averaged a league-bests of 16.8 points and 2.4 steals per game and added 6.0 rebounds. He also led CCU in scoring 15 times and 12 times in rebounding, while tallying double-digit scoring in 27 of 29 contests. He was the only player in the Big South Conference to rank in the top 10 in scoring (1st), rebounding (6th) and steals (1st) and was 11th in assists.

This season, Paelay is averaging 14.4 points (seventh in the Big South) and 4.6 rebounds in 24 contests. He also has 1,078 points in his career, just the 13th player in Coastal history to reach the 1,000-point plateau. He also ranks in the CCU top 10 in his career in steals, and blocked shots.

He had his best game of the season so far at VMI, Jan. 7, scoring 24 points and adding seven rebounds, four assists, and two blocks. Prior to that, his top game had been at Minnesota, where he tallied a game-high 23 points on 8-for-12 shooting, including 4-for-7 from the three-point arc. He added two rebounds, five assists and one steal in the effort. He tied that mark with 23 points in the home win over Jacksonville, Dec. 11.

STEVENS STEPPING UP IN RECENT GAMES: Senior guard Colin Stevens has made his mark for the Chanticleers in recent days. In the first 13 games, Stevens was averaging 2.2 points in 10.2 minutes per game and had more turnovers (17) than assists (15). In the last 11 games, including six straight starts, Stevens has averaged 8.5 points per game in 26.8 minutes, including a stellar 88.9 percent (32-for-36) from the charity stripe. He has dished out 45 assists to just 16 turnovers (assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.81). In these 11games, he has had his top four offensive outputs of the year, scoring a season-high 18 points at Birmingham-Southern, Jan. 14, and then 12 points, including a pair of free throws with 4.4 seconds left, in the win over Charleston Southern, Jan. 19. He then added 13 points, five rebounds and six assists to lead CCU to its first road win of the year at Winthrop, Jan. 24. Recently, Stevens handed out a career-high 10 assists in the home win over Winthrop, Feb. 4. With Stevens part of the lineup the last 11 games, Coastal has posted a 9-2 mark, all in league play.

DOUBLING THE DOUBLE-DOUBLE FOR SONKO: Junior forward Moses Sonko saw double in recent back-to-back games for the Chanticleers. Sonko recorded his first career double-double, Jan. 24 at Winthrop, posting 10 points and a career-best 11 rebounds in the road win over the defending Big South champions. In fact, that was the first double-double for Coastal this year and the first since Adrian Gross had one against Charleston Southern, Feb. 3, 2005, with 17 points and 10 boards. He then followed it up with 16 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Chanticleers to a home win over Liberty, Jan. 28.

SONKO CONTINUING THE SOLID PLAY: Junior forward Moses Sonko has made strides from his sophomore year and been solid for Coastal in 2005-06. Last year, Sonko averaged 6.5 points and 3.8 rebounds in 19.9 minutes per game, starting in 13 of the 27 games he played in. This season, his numbers are up, as he has started all 24 contests and is averaging 11.1 points (18th in the Big South), 5.3 rebounds (15th in the league) and 25.9 minutes per game. He has scored in double figures in 15 games, including his first career double-double in the win at Winthrop, Jan. 24, with 10 points and a career-high 11 rebounds, and second double-double against Liberty, Jan. 28, with 16 points and 11 boards. He earned his first career Big South Player of the Week award, Jan. 30, after posting those back-to-back double-doubles.

THE WINDING ROAD HAS BEEN KIND LATELY: After posting a 4-4 record on the road in the Big South in 2003-04, CCU was 2-6 on the road in the Big South last season, with wins at VMI (Jan. 10) and Birmingham-Southern (Jan. 24) and 2-14 in road games overall.

CCU dropped its first eight road games before getting the dramatic 64-57 win over defending Big South champion Winthrop, Jan. 24. With the win at Winthrop, CCU snapped a 13-game road losing streak overall, including an eight-game Big South road streak dating back midway through the Big South schedule last year.

However, the Chanticleers have followed it up with a dramatic 71-69 win at Charleston Southern, Feb. 9, for their first back-to-back road wins since midway through the 2003-04 season. Then Coastal added to it with an 88-70 road victory at UNC Asheville, Feb. 13, for its third consecutive road win. In fact, the last time the Chants won three consecutive road games was during the 1992-93 season, when CCU defeated Campbell and Charleston Southern twice to end the regular season and CSU again in the first round of the Big South Tournament at North Charleston Coliseum.

EARNING THE TV WIN OVER BIRMINGHAM-SOUTHERN: Coastal Carolina's men's basketball team locked up its first winning season in 12 years with a 69-59 victory over visiting Birmingham-Southern, Feb. 18. With their seventh consecutive win and their 12th home win this season, the Chanticleers tied the most wins at Kimbel Arena since moving to Division I 20 years ago.

Neither team shot the ball well early, as nerves showed throughout the first 10 minutes of the game. With the game tied at eight with over 10 minutes gone, BSC took the lead at 11-8 on a conventional three-point play by Dwayne Paul that spurred a 7-3 run by the Panthers for a 15-11 lead with 6:52 to go. Sophomore guard Jack Leasure canned his first three-pointer of the game to cut the margin to 15-14 and then CCU took the lead on senior guard Colin Stevens' layup with 5:48 to go. The two teams then exchanged six more times. However, the final one occurred with BSC up 24-23 in the closing seconds of the first half. Off a screen, Leasure nailed a three from the corner in front of the Panthers' bench to give Coastal a 26-24 halftime advantage, a lead it would never relinquish.

Coastal hit just 40.0 percent (10-for-25) from the floor in the opening half, but limited BSC to just 36.8 percent (7-for-19) from the field. The Panthers kept it close by converting at the free-throw line, as BSC was 8-for-10 from the line, while Coastal was just 3-for-4.

The Chants were led by Leasure with six, while guards Pele Paelay and Steven Sexton each chipped in five. Birmingham-Southern was paced by guard James Collins with 12, while Dwayne Paul had five.

Coastal came out on fire in the second half, going on a 12-1 run to start the second half, spurred on by three triples by Leasure and a fourth by Paelay to push the margin to 13 at 38-25 with 17:04 to play in the game. CCU eventually built the lead to 51-33 with 10:52 to go, but the Panthers would scrap back, cutting the margin to six at 61-55 with 3:31 to go on a layup by Collins. A pair of Paelay free throws pushed it back to eight, but BSC continued to battle, as guard Ed Horton and Collins hit back-to-back jumpers to slash the lead to four with 1:50 to go. But that would be the last points BSC would score in the contest, as Coastal sealed the game with a four points by forward Moses Sonko, including a breakaway slam at the end of the contest

For the game, CCU hit 51.2 percent (22-for-43) from the field, including going 11-for-24 (45.8 percent) from the three-point arc. Birmingham-Southern ended at 42.9 percent (18-for-42) and was just 27.8 percent (5-for-18) from the three-point line. BSC won the board battle 28-25, but Coastal turned 12 Panther miscues into 20 points.

Leasure led the Chants with 22 points, including seven three-pointers for the second consecutive game, while Paelay added 17. Sonko was the other Chant in double figures with 10 and a team-best five boards. BSC was led by Collins' game-high 27 points, with Paul the only other Panther in double figures with 14.

GETTING THE THIRD STRAIGHT ON THE ROAD AT UNC ASHEVILLE: First-year head coach Buzz Peterson's first-ever coached game in his hometown was a happy one, as the Coastal Carolina men's basketball team defeated host UNC Asheville, 88-70, Feb. 13. With their sixth consecutive win, including three road victories, the Chanticleers have now guaranteed at least a .500 overall and Big South records this season. This was also the first victory for CCU at the Justice Center in 11 years, while the six-game winning streak ties for the fourth longest in school history.

Both teams were off to a slow start, with the game knotted at seven just over five minutes into the contest. After four ties, Coastal took the lead for good on a layup by junior Adrian Gross that put the Chants up 18-16 with 11 minutes to go in the half. Senior guard Pele Paelay made it four, but a three-pointer by Chad Mohn cut it back to one at 20-19 with 10:34 to go. However, CCU pushed it out on back-to-back threes by sophomore guard Jack Leasure to make it a seven-point lead and CCU eventually led by 13 at 39-26 with 5;32 to go in the half. UNCA went on a 10-0 run over the next four minutes to cut it to three, but Coastal added to the lead, including a Paelay layup with two seconds left in the half, and headed into the halftime lockerroom with a 46-38 margin.

Coastal was (17-for-32) in the first half, while UNCA hit on 47.8 percent (11-for-23) from the floor. CCU hit 7-for-15 from the three-point arc, while UNCA was just 3-for-8. The Bulldogs have stayed in the game at the charity stripe, going 13-for-17 while the Chanticleers were just there six times, hitting five of them. Coastal held a slim battle on the boards 16-14 and had forced eight UNCA turnovers that had been converted into 10 points.

UNCA cut the margin to six at 50-44 with 15:34 to play in the game, but the Chanticleers built an insurmountable lead with a 17-2 run over the next seven minutes to lead 67-46 with 8:17 to go. The Bulldogs cut it down to 14 twice in the late going, but CCU was 6-for-6 from the free throw line along with two layups to seal the victory.

Coastal shot 55.2 percent (32-for-58) from the floor, including 11 three-pointers, while UNC Asheville hit on 51.1 percent (24-for-47) of their shots, with seven triples. CCU also hit 92.9 percent (13-for-14) from the free throw line, while UNCA was 78.9 percent (15-for-19). The Chants outrebounded the hosts 29-23 and converted 17 UNCA miscues into 20 points.

Leasure finished with a game-high 23 points, including seven three-pointers, while Paelay had 21 for the Chanticleers. Junior forward Moses Sonko added 14 points and a game-high eight rebounds, while freshman forward Joseph Harris had 12 points. Collington led UNCA with 21 points, while Mohn had 17.

WINNING A ROAD THRILLER AT CHARLESTON SOUTHERN: Junior forward Moses Sonko banked in a layup with 4.2 seconds remaining to propel the Coastal Carolina men's basketball to a thrilling 71-69 Big South Conference victory at Charleston Southern, Feb. 9. With its fifth consecutive victory and second straight road win, the Chanticleers have first five-game winning streak since the 1996-97 season.

The Buccaneers came out strong, scoring the first eight points of the game in less than two minutes. Coastal clawed back to within three at 19-16 with 11:17 to go in the half. However, CSU made another surge, going on a 10-0 run over the next four minutes to take the biggest lead of the game at 29-16 with 7:10 to go. The Chants chipped away at the lead to enter the halftime lockerroom down by four, 33-29.

The second half was a game of quick runs, with each team making numerous spurts in the first six minutes of the half. CSU led by eight at 45-37 with 13:43 remaining in the contest, but the Chants put together an 11-2 run, capped off by senior guard Colin Stevens three-pointer, to take their first lead of the game at 48-47 with 10:24 to play. From that point on, neither team had more than a three-point lead until the Bucs led by four twice late, including 65-61 with 3:44 to go. Sophomore guard Jack Leasure drained a three-pointer to cut it back to one. The Bucs' Donnell Covington pushed it back to three at 67-64 with 2:57 to go, but Leasure stepped up again, hitting another triple to tie the game at 67 with 2:37 to play. Sonko hit a layup to put CCU up two with under two minutes to go, but Covington had the answer again, knocking down two free throws with 1:20 to go. After Coastal missed a three-point attempt, the host Bucs missed a jumper with 15 seconds to play to set up the last-second drama. Sonko hit his second consecutive layup and after Covington's three-pointer came off the front rim, the Chants escaped with the win.

Coastal hit just 43.1 percent (25-for-58) from the field, including eight three-pointers, while CSU was an impressive 58.1 percent (25-for-43) from the floor with just six three pointers. Both teams hit 13 free throws, but CCU stayed in the game throughout by winning the boards 31-22, including 16 offensive rebounds.

All five staters were in double figures for the Chants, led by senior guard Pele Paelay with 16 points, while Leasure added 15, all on three-pointers. Freshman forward Joseph Harris posted his second consecutive double-double with a career-high 14 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Sonko finished with 12 points, while Stevens had 10. Charleston Southern was led by Covington with 19 points, while Moore had 18.

TONIGHT'S INJURY REPORT: Forward Logan Johnson (right foot) is out for the year.

LIVE ON THE RADIO AND THE WEB: Coastal Carolina men's basketball will be broadcast live on "The Team", 93.9 FM, 93.7 FM and 1050 AM in the Conway/Myrtle Beach area, as well as on the Internet at www.GoCCUSports.com. Matt Hogue returns for his eighth year as "Voice of the Chanticleers". In addition, a returning feature this year will be Live Game Stats of all CCU home basketball games on the Internet.