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Women's Basketball Looks to Bounce Back at Home Against Campbell

           

Women's Basketball Looks to Bounce Back at Home Against Campbell

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Game 2

Coastal Carolina (0-1) vs. Campbell (0-1)

Date: Tuesday, Nov. 23

Time: 7 p.m.

Place: Kimbel Arena, Conway, S.C.

Series: Campbell leads 17-10

TV/Radio: None

Live Stats: www..GoCCUSports.com

Lady Chants Look to Bounce Back at Home Against Campbell

The Coastal Carolina University women’s basketball team (0-1) looks to rebound from its opening-night loss with a home matchup against Campbell University (0-1) Tuesday, Nov. 23, at 7 p.m., in Kimbel Arena. Coastal fell 77-74 to Anderson College Nov. 19 despite shooting 47 percent from the field and committing only 17 turnovers.

Coastal is coming off a 13-15 overall record and a 6-8 record in the Big South in 2003-04. The Lady Chants were picked to finish eighth in the Big South preseason poll.

Scouting Campbell

Campbell fell to High Point University 76-74 Nov. 19 in its season opener. The Fighting Camels had three players in double figures, led by Jennifer Martin’s 22 points and 10 rebounds. Jennifer Lodge added 21 points, while Tomika Tomlinson scored 18 points for Campbell. Last season, Campbell finished with a 9-18 overall record and a 7-13 record in the Atlantic Sun. The Fighting Camels return three starters and 11 letterwinners from last season.

Campbell is coached by Wanda Watkins, who is in her 24th season in Buies Creek. She has a 381-253 record at the school.

Series vs. Campbell

Campbell leads the overall series with the Lady Chanticleers 17-10, but Coastal won last year’s contest 66-43. For a complete game story and stats on this contest, turn to page 5 of the game notes.

Chanticleers Picked Eighth in the Big South

The Coastal Carolina University women’s basketball team was selected to finish eighth in the Big South Conference’s annual preseason poll, as voted by the League’s Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors. The announcement was made at the Westin Hotel in downtown Charlotte as part of the 2004-05 Basketball Tip-Off Media Luncheon.

For the second year in a row, Liberty was unanimously selected to win its eighth-straight regular-season crown, which set a Conference record. The Lady Flames have gone undefeated in Conference play for two straight years, and have won 38 consecutive Big South contests, dating back to the 2001-02 season. High Point was voted second, while UNC Asheville, Radford and Charleston Southern round out the top five. Birmingham-Southern placed sixth in the women’s poll, followed by Winthrop at seventh and Coastal Carolina eighth.

Hi, My Name is ...

Coastal will have seven new players on the roster this season and will have a whole new starting lineup. All five starters from the 2003-04 season exhausted their eligibility, including Coastal’s all-time leading scorer Nikki Reddick. The lineup for the Low Country All-Stars exhibition game featured a redshirt senior (Courtney Brown), a true senior (Lucia Popovici), a redshirt junior (Amber Rose), a junior-college transfer (Kim Turner) and a sophomore (Alisha Dill). Turner joins junior Jasmine Tyler, junior Demaria Young, junior Kristy Yurichak, freshman C.J. Ware and redshirt freshman Samantha Carver as eligible newcomers. Sophomore Joanna Pekonen also is a newcomer on the roster, but will not be eligible until 2005-06 due to the NCAA transfer rule.

Dill Dishes Out Eight Assists Against Anderson

Sophomore Alisha Dill (Johnson City, Tenn./Science Hill) had a career high eight assists in Coastal’s 77-74 loss to Anderson Nov. 19. Her previous career best was four last season at Appalachian State Jan. 3 and Winthrop Feb. 21. Dill also added eight points, five rebounds and three steals in the game.

Turner Makes Debut in Style

Junior Kim Turner (West Memphis, Ark./Hiwassee C.C.) scored 16 points and added five rebounds in her first career game in a Coastal uniform, a 77-74 loss to Anderson Nov. 19. Turner added five rebounds and had two blocked shots. Juniors Jasmine Tyler (Jacksonville, Fla./Okaloosa C.C.) and Demaria Young (Memphis, Tenn./Walters State C.C.) each had eight points in their debuts.

Home Sweet Home

Coastal will enjoy the friendly confines of Kimbel Arena for five of its first six games. The Lady Chants do not go on the road until Dec. 12 against the University of North Carolina. Coastal also will have a game against the College of Charleston at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center Dec. 19. After that stretch, Coastal will be on the road for six of its next seven games.

Senior Leadership

Coastal has two seniors on the squad this season. Redshirt senior Courtney Brown (Chesapeake, Va./Western Branch) averaged 4.6 points and 2.9 rebounds last season while playing in 24 games. Brown also missed four games due to injury last season. Senior Lucia Popovici (Edmonton, Alberta/Jasper Place) is penciled in as a starting center after averaging 3.2 points and 2.0 rebounds in 2003-04. In the exhibition game against the Low Country All-Stars, Brown had 12 points and a team-high nine rebounds while Popovici grabbed six rebounds in only 15 minutes.

LeForce Milestone Watch

Coastal head coach Alan LeForce needs only two wins to earn his 100th win as the mentor of the Lady Chants. LeForce is the winningest head coach in Coastal women’s basketball history, passing Gina Markland Feb. 23, 2004. Overall, LeForce is 338-279 in 22 years as a head coach.

Coastal Adds SIze to Roster

Coastal has eight players on its 2004-05 roster that are six feet or taller, led by junior Kristy Yurichak (Walton Hills, Ohio/Lakeland C.C.), who is 6-4. Sophomore Joanna Pekonen (Lappeenranta, Finland/Lafayette), who is ineligible to compete in games this season, is 6-3. Coastal has two 6-1 players and four players at six feet.

Carver Returns to Court

Redshirt freshman Samantha Carver (Flemingsburg, Ky/Fleming County) will make her return to basketball this season after missing all of 2003-04 to rehabilitation of a torn ACL. In high school, Carver averaged 15 points and 11 rebounds a game and was named a Louisville Courier-Journal All-State honorable mention.

Rose Lights Up Scoreboard against Low Country

Junior Amber Rose (Bloomington Springs, Tenn./Upperman) stuffed

the stat sheet for 23 points, eight rebounds and five assists in the 86-58 win over the Low Country All-Stars Nov. 14. Rose was 8-of-12 from the field, 4-of-6 from three-point range and a perfect 3-of-3 from the free-throw line. Last year, Rose averaged 2.7 points and 1.1 rebounds per game.

Tyler Finds Her Shot in Exhibition Win

Junior Jasmine Tyler (Jacksonville, Fla./Okaloosa C.C.) came off the bench in the 86-58 win over Low Country All-Stars and shot 7-of-14 from the field, including 3-of-7 from three-point range, for 14 points. Tyler also had three steals and three rebounds in the win. At Okaloosa-Walton C.C., Tyler averaged 14.1 points per game on her way to being named second team all-conference.

Lady Chants Fire Up from Three in Second Half

Coastal Carolina went 7-for-11 as a team from three-point range in the second half of its 86-58 win over the Low Country All-Stars Nov. 14. Junior Amber Rose (Bloomington Springs, Tenn./Upperman), senior Courtney Brown (Chesapeake, Va./Western Branch) and junior Jasmine Tyler (Jacksonville, Fla./Okaloosa C.C.) each had two second-half three-pointers.

 

Coastal Part of Carolinas Women’s Challenge

Coastal Carolina will be part of the Carolinas Women’s Challenge Dec. 19, at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. The challenge, which coincides with the Holiday Invitational High School Girls Basketball Tournament, pits the Lady Chants against the College of Charleston at 1 p.m. The University of North Carolina-Georgia State University tilt follows that game. For more information on the holiday tournament, visit www.beachballclassic.com.

Radio Broadcasts

The Coastal Carolina women’s baskeball team will have at least 12 games on radio this season, tipping off with a home game against Savannah State University Dec. 16 at 7 p.m. All Coastal women’s basketball radio broadcasts are on "THE TEAM" 93.9 FM in Myrtle Beach. All games also will be available on Coastal Carolina’s athletic website at www.GoCCUSports.com.

Game Day Central

All the Coastal women’s basketball games this season will have a Game Day Central link on www.GoCCUSports.com, which will feature roster, schedules and stats for both teams as well as links to any live audio or live stats. Just click on the G under the women’s basketball schedule for access to the Game Day Central.

Up Next

Coastal takes a week off before hosting UNC Wilmington Tuesday, Nov. 30, at 7 p.m.