CCU

Men's Basketball Uses Hot Shooting to Defeat Southern Virginia 89-59

       

Men's Basketball Uses Hot Shooting to Defeat Southern Virginia 89-59

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CONWAY, S.C. – The Coastal Carolina University men’s basketball team (2-6) shot 58.2 percent from the field and had 40 points from its bench in an 89-59 win over Southern Virginia (5-5) Dec. 13 in Conway, S.C. The Chants won their first game in Kimbel Arena this season after going 13-of-23 from three-point range against the Knights.   Southern Virginia got off to a hot start, scoring the first six points of the game after an Ade Swann layup at 18:48 which forced the Chants into a timeout. Southern Virginia led 10-4 at 17:10 on a Bryce Pendleton layup, but the Chants answered with a 6-0 run, tying the game at 10 on a three from senior Steven Sexton (Monticello, Ky./Wayne County). The Knights would get it back to a six-point lead on three’s from Cory Evans and J.J. Holt, but Coastal Carolina answered, taking its first lead of the game at 12:32 on a three from junior Mario Edwards (Massillon, Ohio/Chipola J.C.). Southern Virginia tied the game at 25 on a three from Swann at 9:00, but the Chanticleers took a lead it would never relinquish on an Edwards’ layup at 8:42. Coastal Carolina would end the half on an 18-3 run as sophomore Anthony Breeze’s jumper at 1:37 gave the Chants a 45-29 halftime lead. The Chants had eight three-pointers in the first half, led by Sexton’s four and senior Mario Sisinni’s (Orlando, Fla./Dr. Phillips) three triples.   Sexton led the Chants with 14 first-half points, while Sisinni had 11. Coastal Carolina shot 63 percent from the floor and was 8-of-12 from three-point range. Swann led Southern Virginia with nine first-half points.   Southern Virginia had another strong start to a half, cutting Coastal Carolina’s lead to 53-41 on a three from Holt, but the Chants would finish the game strong to take the 30-point win. Breeze had 14 second-half points, including an emphatic dunk with 9:17 left. The Chants got all 12 players that dressed in the game and all 12 scored. Junior Marshawn Martin (Columbia, S.C./Richland Northeast), senior Ashton Lawrence (Greer, S.C./Riverside) and freshman Dexter Moore (Bluefield, W. Va./Hargrave Military) all hit three’s in the last minute of the game as the Chants ended with 12 three-point makes.   Breeze and Sexton led the Chanticleers with 18 points. Redshirt junior Joseph Harris (Lejeune, N.C./Lejeune) and redshirt freshman Jon Pack (Dallas, Ga./East Paulding) had nine rebounds apiece, while Sexton had six assists. Coastal Carolina’s shooting percentage was a season-high, while Coastal Carolina held the Knights to just 36.1 percent from the floor.   The Knights had four players in double digits in scoring, led by Holt and Swann with 12 apiece. Cory Evans added eight rebounds.    Coastal Carolina ended the game with 40 points in the paint and 14 off turnovers.   

The Chants have a quick turnaround, facing Virginia-Wise Sunday, Dec. 14 at 4 p.m., in Kimbel Arena.

NOTES
- Sexton had a career high 18 points.  His previous career-high was 17 at Charleston Southern March 1, 2008.
- The Chants had a season high 21 assists, including four by Harris and Edwards.
- Matt Brennan played 20 minutes and had two points, three rebounds and two blocked shots.
- Coastal Carolina improves to 2-0 all-time against Southern Virginia.