Women's Basketball Opens 2008 Portion of its Schedule Thursday vs. Coker
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Coastal Opens 2008 Portion of its Schedule vs. Coker
The Coastal Carolina University women’s basketball team (8-3) returns from the holiday break with two games at Kimbel Arena, starting with a 7 p.m., matchup against Coker College (1-8), Thursday, Jan. 3. The game can be heard on www.GoCCUSports.com with Chris Burgin and Randy Clemens on the call. The game also will be video streamed on THE EDGE at www.BigSouthSports.com. Coastal snapped a three-game losing streak with a 60-45 win over Alabama State Dec. 20 at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center.
Scouting Coker
The Cobras have had a longer break than the Lady Chants. Coker has not played since Dec. 15 when it fell to Francis Marion 84-77 in the championship game of the Lady Cobra Classic. Temeca Spain and Henna Koponen were named to the All-Tournament team as Coker defeated Chowan 59-52 in the first round of the tournament. Koponen leads Coker with a 15.7 points-per-game average, while Spain is averaging 14.6 points and 7.9 rebounds a contests. Lotta Aaltonen is the third Cobra scoring in double figures, averaging 10 points a game.
Coker is coached by Carol Meegan, who is in her third year in Hartsville. She has a 14-51 record at the school and a 39-148 overall record in eight-plus years as a head coach.
Series vs. Coker
Coastal has won all 32 meeting with the Cobras, including last year’s 77-43 win in Conway. In that game, Alisha Dill had 19 points, six rebounds and six assists while Lacey Lyons (Beverly Hills, Fla./Crystal River) and Lori Whitaker (Bloomington, Ind./North) had 13 and 10 points, respectively.
Head Coach Alan LeForce
Coastal head coach Alan LeForce (Cumberland (Ky.) ’57) is starting his 11th season as the Lady Chanticleers’ mentor. He has a 151-141 record at CCU and a 391-321 overall record in 25 seasons as a head coach. LeForce is the all-time winningest women’s basketball coach in CCU history and is the only coach to win 100 games in both Division I men’s and women’s basketball.
Coastal Returns to Court from Long Break
Coastal has had 13 days away from game action between its 60-45 win over Alabama State Dec. 20 and tonight’s game against Coker. It is the longest break of the season by four days. Coastal will have at least nine days between its final regular season game March 4 at Charleston Southern and its first Big South Tournament game either March 14 or 15.
Lyons Hits Career High in Alabama State Win
Sophomore Lacey Lyons (Beverly Hills, Fla./Crystal River) scored a career high 33 points in the 60-45 win over Alabama State Dec. 20. She was 10-of-17 from the field and 8-of-13 from three-point range. She added five free throws to eclipse her previous career high of 30 points set Nov. 26, 2006 against Howard. Lyons’ eight three-pointers were two away from Coastal’s single-game record of 10 set by Nikki Reddick Feb. 13, 2003 at Winthrop. Reddick’s mark also is a Big South single-game record.
Make it a Double for Devin
Sophomore Devin Rivers (Miami, Fla./Felix Varela) scored 11 points and added 10 rebounds for Coastal’s first double-double since Vicky Blanchard (Eutawville, S.C./Holly Hill-Roberts) did the trick Jan. 22, 2007 against Birmingham-Southern. Rivers is averaging 6.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists in her last five games.
Rivers Stuffs Stat Sheet vs. UNC
Sophomore Devin Rivers (Miami, Fla./Felix Varela) had an impressive stat line in the 82-58 loss to #3 North Carolina Dec. 17. She had 10 points, eight rebounds, a career high four assists, four steals and a blocked shot vs. the Tar Heels. She scored in double figures for the second straight game and now is fourth on the team in scoring and second in rebounding.
Coastal Keeps it Close in the Tar Heels Loss
The Coastal women’s basketball team treated its home fans to a entertaining game Dec. 17 against #3 North Carolina. Coastal had a six-point lead on two occasions in the first half, leading 17-12 with 12:10 left. After North Carolina built a 24-point lead in the second half, Coastal went on a 27-14 run, cutting the lead to 67-56 with 5:44 left. North Carolina would end the game on a 9-0 run and win 82-58.
Rivers Has Career High in Home State
Sophomore Devin Rivers (Miami, Fla./Felix Varela) went for a career high 12 points and added five rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot in the 56-48 loss to Jacksonville Dec. 8. Rivers’ previous career high was nine against Liberty Jan. 13, 2007. She is now averaging 6.2 points and 5.9 rebounds a contest.
Starting Five in Flux
Coastal has used four different starting lineups in the first 11 games of the 2007-08 season. Last year, Coastal used three different starting lineups, while two years ago, the Lady Chants went the first 20 games with the same starting five.
Block Party at UNCW
Coastal Carolina blocked six UNC Wilmington shots Dec. 5, including three in the first half by sophomore Devin Rivers (Miami, Fla./Felix Varela). The six blocks are a season high by the Lady Chants. Freshman Katie White (St. Charles, Ill./East) has five blocks in the last two games, upping her season total to 15, which leads the team.
Chants Start 7-0 Before First Loss
For the first time in school history, Coastal started the season with seven straight wins. Coastal started the 2003-04 season with four consecutive wins before falling to East Carolina. In the seven-game stretch, Coastal outscored its opponents by an average of 18.0 points per game, while forcing 24.1 turnovers a contets. The Lady Chants’ unbeaten ways ended Dec. 5 with a 74-46 loss at UNC Wilmington.
Chairwomen of the Boards
Coastal had 64 rebounds in its 84-39 win over Converse Dec. 1, 25 of those coming on the offensive end. Senior Vicky Blanchard (Eutawville, S.C./Holly Hill-Roberts (Walters State C.C.)) had 11 first-half rebounds, while five Lady Chanticleers (Blanchard, Sydnei Moss, Jessica Noll, Katie White and Amanda Stull) had six or more rebounds, all of them more than the leading rebounder for Converse (5). The last time that Coastal has pulled down more than 60 rebounds was Nov. 20, 2006 as the Lady Chants had 63 against Southern Virginia.
Diversifying the Minutes vs. Converse
All 12 Lady Chanticleers played in their 84-39 win over Converse Dec. 1, with sophomore Amanda Stull (Rushville, Ind./Rushville Consolidated) playing a team-high 22 minutes. Eleven of the 12 players recorded 12 or more minutes while all 12 players scored and had at least one rebound.
NCAA Stats
The third set of NCAA statistics were released Dec. 16, and Coastal was 15th in scoring defense at 52.0 points per game. Sophomore Lacey Lyons (Beverly Hills, Fla./Crystal River) is 33rd in three-point field goals per game (2.6/g). Freshman Katie White (St. Charles, Ill./East) was 85th in blocks per game (1.7/g), while sophomore Devin Rivers (Miami, Fla./Felix Varela) is 95th (1.6/g).
Lady Chants Sign Irick to National Letter-of-Intent
The Coastal Carolina University women’s basketball program and head coach Alan LeForce have announced the signing of Olivia Irick (Columbia, S.C./Keenan) to a National Letter-of-Intent, it was announced Nov. 27. Irick joins Taylor Epley (Newburgh, Ind./Castle) in this year’s singing class.
Irick, a 5-7 guard, is a three-year varsity letterwinner and a three-year All-Region selection at Kennan High School in Columbia, S.C. She was an All-State honoree while being named the team’s Offensive Player of the Year after averging 18.5 points and six rebounds a game as a junior. As a sophomore, Irick was named the team’s Most Valuable Player and earned the Naitonal Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association Scholar-Athletic Award. She was named the team’s Rookie of the Year as a freshman. Irick’s older sister, Erica, played basketball at the College of Charleston from 2003-06.
Lyons, Ware Score in Double Figures in Win over Campbell
Sophomore Lacey Lyons (Beverly Hills, Fla./Crystal River) and senior C.J. Ware (Decatur, Ga./Lakeside) scored 16 and 15 points, respectively, to help Coastal to its 61-54 win over Campbell Nov. 27. Lyons went 4-of-9 from three-point range and was 6-of-12 from the field, while Ware was 6-of-8 from the free-throw line and scored in double figures for the third time this season.
Freshmen Lift Coastal Over Southern Virginia
Coastal’s five true freshmen scored 50 of CCU’s 87 points in the 41-point win over Southern Virginia Nov. 24. Freshman Kate Jasinski (Toledo, Ohio/Penn (Ind.)) had a game high 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field. Classmate Courtney Grambley (Morrow, Ohio/Little Miami) added 13 points, while Sydnei Moss (North Augusta, S.C./North Augusta) also scored in double figures with 10 points. Freshmen Katie White (St. Charles, Ill./East) and Jessica Noll (Myrtle Beach, S.C./St. James) had eight and four points, respectively.
Bench Bunch
Coastal’s bench scored 65 points in the win over Southern Virginia Nov. 24, including 11 points from sophomore Lori Whitaker (Bloomington, Ind./North), who went 4-of-5 from the field and 3-of-4 from three-point range. All four players that scored in double figures for Coastal came off the bench, while the reserves had 23 rebounds in the win.
Ware Shoots Coastal to Win over SCSU
Senior C.J. Ware (Decatur, Ga./Lakeside) scored a career high 18 points in the 59-54 win over South Carolina State Nov. 20. Ware was 4-of-5 from three-point range and 6-of-10 from the field to go along with her four assists. Ware eclipsed her career high by seven points, as she scored 11 Nov. 25, 2006 against IPFW.
Lady Chants on Fire from Three in win over Bulldogs
Coastal was 9-of-19 from three-point range in the 59-54 win over South Carolina State Nov. 20. The Lady Chants’ were 47.4 percent from behind the arc and were led by senior C.J. Ware’s (Decatur, Ga./Lakeside) 4-of-5 performance.
Doin’ It With Defense
Coastal held Stetson to 41 points on 31.5 percent shooting in the 10-point win Nov. 17. The Lady Chants also forced the Hatters to go 3-of-16 from three-point range. On the year, Coastal’s opponents are averaging 55.0 points per game and shooting 37.2 percent from the field.
Lady Chants Garner Co-Player, Freshman of the Week
Coastal Carolina’s Vicky Blanchard (Eutawville, S.C./Holly Hill-Roberts (Walters State C.C.)) and Tiffany Rodd of Winthrop have been named the Big South Conference Choice Hotels Co-Player of the Week in women’s basketball, while Sydnei Moss (North Augusta, S.C./North Augusta) from Coastal was tabbed New Balance Freshman of the Week for games played through Nov. 11.
Blanchard posted 18 points, nine boards and two steals in leading the Lady Chanticleers to a 59-58 win over Wofford on Nov. 11. With Coastal Carolina down by one in the closing seconds of the game, Blanchard put in the game winning bucket with :11 seconds left as CCU held on to pick up the win. For the game she connected on 73-percent of her shots on 8-of-11 from the floor, put in two shots from the charity stripe and ripped down nine boards. Moss came up big in her first collegiate game against Wofford. In the closing seconds of the contest, Moss ripped down an offensive rebound and put it back up to cut the Terrier lead to one. She then stole the in-bounds pass and found an open Blanchard for the game-winning shot with just :11 seconds left to play. In just 20 minutes of action, she recorded eight points, seven rebounds, two steals and dished out two assists.
Coastal Signs Epley to National Letter-of-Intent
The Coastal Carolina University women’s basketball program and head coach Alan LeForce have announced the signing of Taylor Epley (Newburgh, Ind./Castle) to a National Letter-of-Intent, it was announced Nov. 15.
Epley, a 6-0 forward, is starting her senior season at Castle High School in Newburgh, Ind. Last season, she averaged nine points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots per game. She also helped Castle to an Indiana 4A State Championship as a sophomore. Last year, Epley helped Castle earn a Sectional championship as a junior. She also is a member of the National Honor Society.
Chants On Fire from Charity Stripe vs. CofC
Coastal went 18-of-20 from the free-throw line in the 63-46 win over the College of Charleston Nov. 14. The 90 percent from the line is the highest by a Coastal team since the Lady Chants went 12-of-13 (.921) against Furman Dec. 14, 2001. Coastal made 13 of 14 free throws in the second half, including going 8-for-8 in the last two minutes. Then in the win over Stetson, Coastal was 12-of-14 from the free-throw line, led by senior C.J. Ware’s (Decatur, Ga./Lakeside) 6-of-6 from the charity stripe.
Lyons Tames Cougars with Three-Point Barrage
Sophomore Lacey Lyons (Beverly Hills, Fla./Crystal River) scored Coastal’s final 13 points of the first half, turning a 24-16 deficit into a 29-25 halftime lead vs. the College of Charleston Nov. 14. Lyons ended the game with 22 points, seven rebounds and was a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line.
Stull Nets Career High vs. C of C
Sophomore Amanda Stull (Rushville, Ind./Rushville Consolidated) scored a career high 12 points on four field goals and four free throws in a 63-46 win over the College of Charleston Nov. 14. Stull added four rebounds and four assists in the win. She is averaging 10.0 points in two contests against the College of Charleston.
Comeback Kids Win over Wofford
Coastal was trailing Wofford by seven points with 2:50 left and down five with 40 seconds remaining, but scored the final six points, including a layup from senior Vicky Blanchard (Eutawville, S.C./Holly Hill-Roberts (Walters State C.C.)) with 11 seconds left to get the 59-58 win Nov. 11. Freshman Sydnei Moss (North Augusta, S.C./North Augusta) had a layup with 19 seconds left off a missed free throw. She then had a steal and fed Blanchard for the winning hoop. It was Coastal’s first one-point win since a 66-65 win over UNC Greensboro Dec. 6, 2003, while the Lady Chants improved to 17-17 all-time in season openers.
Rookie Roundup
Coastal had four players making their collegiate debut Nov. 11 against Wofford. Freshman Sydnei Moss (North Augusta, S.C./North Augusta) had eight points and seven rebounds, while getting a key layup and steal in the last minute of the 59-58 win. Freshman Courtney Grambley (Morrow, Ohio/Little Miami) had seven points and seven minutes in the win over the Terriers. Freshman Katie White (St. Charles, Ill./East) had four rebounds and a blocked shots in the opener, while classmate Kate Jasinski (Toledo, Ohio/Penn (Ind.)) had a rebound and an assist in the win. Freshman Jessica Noll (Myrtle Beach, S.C./St. James) played her first game against the College of Charleston Nov. 14 and scored three points.
Blanchard Helps Lady Chants Win Opener
Senior Vicky Blanchard (Eutawville, S.C./Holly Hill-Roberts (Walters State C.C.)) scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the 59-58 win over Wofford Nov. 11. She also scored the game-winning layup with 11 seconds left to give Coastal its first lead since the 16:38 mark of the second half.
Chanticleers Picked Sixth in the Big South
The Coastal Carolina University women’s basketball team has been picked to finish sixth in the Big South Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll, the conference announced at its annual Media Day Oct. 9 in Charlotte, N.C. Coastal earned 77 points and were five points away from the fourth spot. Radford was picked to win the League, garnering 16 first-place votes and 162 points. Liberty earned the second spot with nine first-place votes and 156 points. Defending Big South Tournament champion UNC Asheville was picked third with 113 points. Defending regular season champion High Point followed in fourth with 81 points. They were followed by Winthrop (80 points), Coastal and Charleston Southern (31). Liberty’s Megan Frazee was selected the Big South Player of the Year, getting 112 points and 17 first-place votes. She was joined on the team by Radford’s Kelli Darden and Corrie Fertitta, UNC Asheville’s Ashton Barton and Winthrop’s Ashley Fann.
Coastal Returns Three All-Freshman Team Members
Three members of last year’s Big South All-Freshman Team returns to the Lady Chanticleers’ lineup this season. Sophomores Lacey Lyons (Beverly Hills, Fla./Crystal River), Devin Rivers (Miami, Fla./Felix Varela) and Amanda Stull (Rushville, Ind./Rushville Consolidated) doubled the number of All-Freshman Team members in Coastal history. Lisa O’Connor (1997-98), Brooke Weisbrod (1997-98) and Nikki Reddick (1999-2000) were Coastal’s previous All-Freshman Team members.
Lyons averaged 7.9 points, which is second on the team, and 2.3 rebounds a game. She had a season high 30 points in an 85-78 win over Howard Nov. 26 and hit five three-pointers against second-ranked North Carolina Dec. 18. Lyons was a two-time Big South Freshman of the Week and set the school record for three-pointers in a season by a freshman (44). She scored in double figures 10 times this season and had seven rebounds in a game twice. Rivers averaged 3.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game her freshman season. She was second on the team in blocked shots with 19. Rivers was selected the Big South Freshman of the Week Dec. 18 and had eight points, eight rebounds and three steals in a win over North Greenville Dec. 13. Rivers had nine rebounds Jan. 15 against Radford and tied a Coastal high with five steals Jan. 4 against Coker. Stull averaged 4.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game in 2006-07. She was a two-time Big South Freshman of the Week honoree and shot 45.1 percent from the field. She scored nine points in a game twice and grabbed eight rebounds in a win over Savannah State Jan. 9. Stull had 37 steals on the year and had four in a win over Winthrop Jan. 31. She also had a season-high eight assists in a win over Converse Dec. 31.
Coastal Looks to Replace Scoring Load from Last Year
The four Coastal Carolina seniors on last year’s squad accounted for 34.4 of the 62.7 points (54.9 percent) scored, led by Alisha Dill’s 22.5 points per game. Dill was sixth in the country in points per game last year. Sophomore Lacey Lyons (Beverly Hills, Fla./Crystal River) is the team’s top returning scorer, as she averaged 7.9 points per game.
Youth Will Be Served on Lady Chants Roster
Eleven of Coastal’s 14 players on its 2007-08 roster are either freshmen or sophomores athletically. There are three seniors on the roster, C.J. Ware (Decatur, Ga./Lakeside), Vicky Blanchard (Eutawville, S.C./Holly Hill Roberts) and Joanna Pekonen (Lappeenranta, Finland/Makelanrinne (Lafayette)).
All CCU Games to be Broadcast on the Internet
For the second straight year, the Coastal Carolina University women’s basketball team will have every regular-season and post-season game broadcast on the internet. Beginning with the season opener Nov. 11 against Wofford, all 27 games will be available on www.GoCCUSports.com. The broadcast will start 10 minutes prior to tipoff.
Describing the action will be Chris Burgin who enters his first year as “Voice of the Lady Chanticleers.” Burgin comes to Coastal Carolina after spending the last eight years as play-by-play voice for future Big South Conference rival Presbyterian College. During his tenure with the Blue Hose, Chris handled the broadcasts for football; men’s and women’s basketball; along with baseball and softball. He was behind the microphone when the PC football team won the South Atlantic Conference championship and recorded the school’s first NCAA football playoff appearance in 2005. Burgin was also witness to a Division II “Sweet 16” trip by the men’s basketball team in 2003 and numerous appearances in the postseason by the women’s basketball squad. Burgin, a 1992 graduate of the University of South Carolina, is currently employed by SportsRadio 1410 WPCC in Clinton. In addition, every post-season game, beginning with the 2008 Advance Auto Parts Big South Tournament March 14 in Asheville, N.C., will be broadcast on both www.GoCCUSports.com and THE TEAM 93.9 FM in Myrtle Beach.
Big South to Video Stream All Women’s Basketball Conference Games
Coastal Carolina will video stream all home games this season on THE EDGE, the Big South’s streaming website. Coastal will also have every game of the Big South schedule on THE EDGE as well as every game of the 2008 Advance Auto Parts Big South Tournament in Asheville, N.C.
The video stream of women’s basketball games and all Big South events, which will also be available on a video-on-demand basis for subscribers of The EDGE, requires a high-speed internet connection (DSL, cable or above), Microsoft Windows Media Player 9.0 or greater downloaded and installed, and a screen resolution of 800x600 or greater, among other requirements. An annual subscription of The EDGE costs $69.95 and runs one year from the date of sign-up and includes live sporting events and championships, interviews and exclusive access to on-demand video and features.
Consistency in the Coaching Staff
For the third consecutive season, Coastal will have the same coaching staff on the bench. Head Coach Alan LeForce is in his 11th year at Coastal and in his 26th year as a collegiate head coach. Assistant coach Frank Moorhead is in his sixth season with the Lady Chants, while assistant coach Mark Kost starts his fifth season. Assistant Coach Shameka Montgomery starts her third season on the CCU bench.
Last Year’s 18 Wins Ties CCU’s D-I Record
Coastal Carolina earned its 18th regular-season win in a 60-53 victory over Charleston Southern March 3. The 18 wins tied the 1999-2000 season for the most regular-season wins by a Coastal team as a Division I school.
Up Next
Coastal will host Morris College Monday, Jan. 7 at 7 p.m., in Kimbel Arena.
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