CCU

Women's Basketball Defeats Birmingham-Southern 57-42

       

Women's Basketball Defeats Birmingham-Southern 57-42

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CONWAY, S.C. – Senior Alisha Dill (Johnson City, Tenn./Science Hill) scored a game-high 23 points, while senior Calisha Yates (Columbus, Ind./Chattanooga State C.C.) and junior Victoria Blanchard (Eutawville, S.C./Walters State C.C.) had 10 rebounds apiece as the Coastal Carolina University women’s basketball team (11-6, 2-2 Big South) defeated Birmingham-Southern (6-12, 1-3 Big South) 57-42 Jan. 22 in Conway, S.C.

Coastal never trailed in the game, taking a 10-4 lead on a Dill jumper at 12:47. The Panthers cut the lead to one (13-12) on a layup from Reba Ross, but Coastal ended the half on an 11-4 run. Blanchard’s jumper at 2:41 made it 21-13 Coastal and the Lady Chants led by as much as nine on a Dill three with 47 seconds left.

Dill had 11 first-half points as both team struggled from the floor. Coastal shot 35.7 percent, but just 1-of-9 from three-point range. Birmingham-Southern was 8-of-27 (29.6 percent) from the floor and missed all eight three-point attempts. Ross led Birmingham-Southern with six points in the first half, while the Panthers outrebounded Coastal 22-17 in the first frame.

Coastal jumped out to a double-digit lead on a layup from Blanchard at 16:46. The Panthers would not go away as Muncea Oliver’s jumper at 13:31 made it 30-24. That would be as close as the Panthers would get as a 5-0 mini-run over the next six-plus minutes stretched the lead back to 11. When Dill’s layup went through at 4:45, Coastal had a 46-30 lead. The Lady Chants would lead by as much as 18 points on their way to improving their conference record to 2-2.

Dill hit right around her average, making 7-of-13 shots from the field, including three three-pointers. She also was 6-of-8 from the free-throw line, had six rebounds and dished off five assists. Blanchard added 12 points to make it a double-double, her second straight, while Yates had seven points and three steals.

For the Panthers, Pam Thornborrow was the lone player in double figures with 10 points. Hali Moore added eight rebounds, while freshman Marisah Henderson had four assists.

Coastal shot 37.9 percent from the floor, compared to the 31.7 percent by the Panthers. Coastal outrebounded BSC 43-42 while the Lady Chants had 14 steals.

Coastal will host Charleston Southern University Saturday, Jan. 27 at 5 p.m., in Kimbel Arena. Birmingham-Southern hosts UNC Asheville the same day at 2 p.m.