CCU

Men's Basketball Falls to Xavier 79-46

       

Men's Basketball Falls to Xavier 79-46

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The Coastal Carolina University men’s basketball team (0-1) fell in its season opener to Xavier University (1-0) 79-46 Nov. 11 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Coastal led 20-17 with 6:56 left in the first half, but the Musketeers went on a 21-4 run to end the first half and never looked back.

Coastal took its first lead of the game at 12:17 when freshman Joshua Mack (Hopkinsville, Ky./University Heights Academy) hit a deep three from the left wing. A Mack layup at 10:50 extended the lead to 13-9 on a layup at 10:50. Xavier took a 17-16 lead on two Stanley Burell free throws at 7:38, but layups by senior Moses Sonko (East Greenwich, R.I./Classical) and junior Everage Richardson (Brooklyn, N.Y./Sullivan County C.C.) gave the Chanticleers a 20-17 lead. The Musketeers took the lead at 5:52 on a Justin Doellman three and extended the margin to six on a Burrell jumper. Freshman Logan Johnson (Knoxville, Tenn./South Doyle) hit two free throws at 2:42 to make it 28-24, but Xavier would score the last 10 points, including five by Burrell to take the 14-point halftime lead.

Mack and senior Adrian Gross (Galesville, Md./Southern) had five points apiece for Coastal. The Chanticleers shot shot 33.3 percent from the field and were just 1-of-9 from three-point range. Xavier was led by Burrell’s 17 points, going 5-of-7 from the field and 6-of-6 from the free-throw line. Xavier shot 52.2 percent from the field and held the 19-13 rebounding edge.

Xavier came out in the second half and built a 20-point lead with 16:34 remaining. The Chants got the lead down to 18 points on a Sonko layup at 10:12 but two Justin Cage free throws at 6:38 made it 61-37 Xavier. The lead was 21 (63-42) with 4:21 to go with Xavier ending the game on a 16-4 run for the final 79-46 tally.

Sonko had eight second-half points and led the team with 12 points total. Mack, playing his first game as a collegiate, had 11 points, including two three-pointers. Coastal was 35.2 percent from the field and hit just the two Mack three-pointers. Sophomore Joseph Harris (Lejeune, N.C./Lejeune) led the team with six rebounds, while junior Jack Leasure (Rochester, N.Y./McQuaid Jesuit) had three assists.

Burrell led all scorers with 19 points, while Derrick Brown had 11 and Cage had 10. Xavier outrebounded CCU 40-28, as Cage led XU with seven caroms. Xavier shot 50 percent from the floor and were 22-32 from the free-throw line.

Coastal heads to Buies Creek, N.C., to face Campbell University Thursday, Nov. 16, at 7 p.m. The game can be heard on THE TEAM 93.9 FM and on www.GoCCUSports.com with Matt Hogue on the call.

NOTES: Mack and Johnson started as well as played in their first games as collegians... Coastal had nine players have more than 10 minutes on the floor and played 12 players at least five minutes... Coastal is now 0-3 all-time against Xavier... Coastal is now 19-14 in season openers overall... Sonko received his third foul at 5:58, just before the XU run, and had to sit the rest of the half... Gross, Harris and sophomore Matt Brennan (Lee’s Summitt, Mo./Lee’s Summit North) all had two first-half fouls.