CCU

Women's Basketball's Furious Comeback Falls Short in 57-55 Loss to High Point

       

Women's Basketball's Furious Comeback Falls Short in 57-55 Loss to High Point

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The Coastal Carolina University women’s basketball team (14-7, 2-4 Big South) was down 21 points with 8:46 remaining, then made a furious comeback before falling to High Point (11-11, 3-3 Big South) 57-55 Feb. 9 in High Point, N.C. Senior Vicky Blanchard’s (Eutawville, S.C./Holly Hill-Roberts) jumper with seven seconds left tied the game at 55, but Mackenzie Maier’s layup with 1.3 seconds remaining gave the Panthers the two-point win.   Coastal was held scoreless for the first 3:55 of the game as High Point’s posts – Amber Manuel and  Maier – scored the Panthers’ first eight points. Freshman Sydnei Moss (North Augusta, S.C./North Augusta) broke the drought with a bucket at 16:05, but a jumper from LaTeisha Dean at 13:02 made it 19-8 HPU. Freshman Kate Jasinski (Toledo, Ohio/Penn (Ind.)) hit back-to-back three pointers, the last at 10:09, to cut the deficit to 23-14, but the Panthers’ Frances Fields’ three at 3:32 made it 34-18. Jasinski and sophomore Amanda Stull (Rushville, Ind./Rushville Consolidated) made 5-of-5 free-throw attempts in the final 3:11 as both teams went into the lockerroom with HPU up 38-23.   Jasinski led Coastal with nine first-half points, while Blanchard had five rebounds. Coastal was just 8-of-31 from the field in the first 20 minutes, while High Point shot 47.1 percent from the floor. Fields had 12 points and four assists in the first half.   Ashlee Samuels made two free throws with 8:46 left to give High Point a 52-31 lead. That’s when Coastal started the comeback. Moss hit a layup and was fouled. Her miss was rebounded by Coastal, which led to a Blanchard three at 8:25. Blanchard hit another three at 7:41, cutting the lead to 13. A jumper by Blanchard and a steal and jumper from Moss made it 52-43 at the 5:42 mark. Blanchard had five straight points, cutting the lead to 52-48 with 4:23 left. Fields hit a layup for High Point, bringing the Panther lead back to six (54-48). Jasinski was fouled, hitting two free throws at 3:22 making it 54-50 High Point. At 1:54, Moss hit 1-of-2 free throws, making it a one-possession game. Another High Point turnover led to a Moss score to cut the lead to one. Coastal had a chance to take the lead, but Blanchard missed a jumper and High Point grabbed the rebound. Stull fouled to get Fields to the line. She made her first attempt but missed on her second. Coastal took advantage as Blanchard’s jumper with seven seconds remaining tied the game at 55. High Point drove the ball down the court as Fields passed to Maier under the basket for the layup with 1.3 seconds left. Jasinski’s half court heave was just short, giving High Point the one-point win.   Blanchard, Jasinski and Moss had 47 of Coastal’s 55 points. Blanchard led the team with 19 points, while Jasinski and Moss had 14 apiece.  Blanchard made it a double-double with 10 rebounds and had three steals. Coastal shot 31.7 percent from the floor and had 13 steals compared to one for High Point.   The Panthers were led by Fields’ 15 points. Maier added 12. High Point outrebounded Coastal 48-30 and shot 40.7 percent.   Coastal heads back to Kimbel Arena Wednesday, Feb. 13, for a Big South Conference game against UNC Asheville. That contest starts at 7 p.m.