The Coastal Carolina University women’s basketball team (7-12, 3-5 Big South) shot 48.1 percent in the second half and recovered from a first-half slump to defeat Winthrop University (2-19, 0-8 Big South) 53-45 Feb. 12, in Conway, S.C.

Both teams struggled in the first half, but Coastal did not score a point until the 12:44 mark on a free throw by junior Demaria Young (Memphis, Tenn./Walters State C.C.). By that time, the Lady Chants had missed their first 14 shots. Winthrop extended the lead to seven at 9:42 on free throws by Cristi Bartlett and had as much as an eight-point lead on a three from Gene’t Moore at 6:47. Coastal then went on a 10-2 run to end the half. That run was fueled by two straight three-pointers from sophomore Alisha Dill (Johnson City, Tenn./Science Hill), the last at 2:23 that tied the game at 19.

Dill and junior Kim Turner (West Memphis, Ark./Hiwassee C.C.), who was playing her first game since missing the Birmingham-Southern contest Monday due to injury, led the squad with eight points apiece in the first stanza. Senior Courtney Brown (Chesapeake, Va./Western Branch) added four rebounds. Jolandra Crump had five points and six rebounds for the Eagles. Coastal was 6-of-28 from the field.

Coastal took its first lead early in the second half on a Turner jumper at 19:43. The game was tied four times in the second half, the latest at 9:16 on a layup by Winthrop’s Jessica Dukes. Coastal then would take the lead for good at 8:57 on a three by junior Jasmine Tyler (Jacksonville, Fla./Okaloosa C.C.). Winthrop cut the lead to one on a Bartlett layup, but two free throws from sophomore Vanessa Laug (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills) and a layup from Dill extended the lead to five. A 4-0 run by Winthrop sliced the lead to 40-39, but a Young three at 4:33 put it back to four points. Dukes’ layup at 4:11 made it a two-point lead, but Coastal put the game out of reach with a 6-0 run in 2:30. Turner hit a jumper at 3:48, then Tyler went full court on a out-of-bounds play that made it 47-41. Turner came back with another jumper to give Coastal the 49-41 lead. A Tyler jumper and two free throws from Dill ended the scoring and gave Coastal its second straight win of the season.

Turner came off the bench to score 20 points. She was 9-of-16 from the field and added four rebounds. Dill added 12 points and three steals for her second straight double-digit scoring effort. Coastal had 18 assists, seven by Young and six from Brown.

Coastal was 13-of-27 from the field in the second half and went 6-of-7 from the free-throw line. The Lady Chanticleers also forced Winthrop into 23 turnovers.

Dukes led Winthrop with 15 points and Crump added 10 rebounds. Winthrop shot 35.4 percent from the field, but made just 3-of-16 three-pointers.

Coastal travels to High Point Tuesday, Feb. 15, at 7 p.m. Winthrop hosts Charleston Southern at 7 p.m., the same night.