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Women's Basketball Looks for Three Straight when it Hosts Appalachian State Thursday

       

Women's Basketball Looks for Three Straight when it Hosts Appalachian State Thursday

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Game 4

Coastal Carolina (2-1) vs. Appalachian State (2-3)

Date: Thursday, Dec. 2

Time: 7 p.m.

Place: Kimbel Arena, Conway, S.C.

Series: Appalachian State leads 3-1

TV/Radio: None

Live Stats: www.GoCCUSports.com

Lady Chants Look for Three in a Row Against Appalachian

The Coastal Carolina University women’s basketball team (2-1) plays its second game in three days as the Lady Chanticleers host Appalachian State University (2-3) Thursday, Dec. 2, at 7 p.m. in Kimbel Arena. Coastal is coming off a 51-47 win over UNC Wilmington Nov. 30. Junior Jasmine Tyler (Jacksonville, Fla./Okaloosa C.C.) scored 15 points in the win.

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 Appalachian State

Appalachian State is coming off a 76-50 win over Elon in its Southern Conference opener. Leading the way for the Mountaineers was Lindsay Smith with 13 points. Five players scored in double figures in the win. The watershed victory of the season came Nov. 21 when ASU defeated Clemson 67-62 in Clemson. Niki Conyers leads the team in scoring with 11.4 points per game. Smith and Danielle Edwards are at 10.8 points, while Jessica Jank averages 4.5 rebounds a contest.

The Mountaineers are coached by Adrienne Shuler, who has an 18-43 record in her career and at the school.

Series vs. UNC Wilmington

Appalachian State leads the season series with Coastal 3-1, but the Lady Chants defeated the Mountaineers 83-80 last season in Boone, N.C. For a complete game story and stats on last year’s contest, turn to page 5 of the game notes.

LeForce Earns His 100th Victory at Coastal in Win over UNCW

Coastal head coach Alan LeForce earned his 100th victory at Coastal Carolina with a 51-47 win over UNC Wilmington Nov. 30. LeForce is believed to be the only coach in Division I to win 100 games in both men’s and women’s basketball. He has an overall 100-100 record at CCU. LeForce is the winningest head coach in Coastal women’s basketball history, passing Gina Markland Feb. 23, 2004. Overall, LeForce is 340-280 in 22 years as a head coach.

Sharing the Wealth In This Holiday Season...

The Lady Chanticleers cannot be accused of being "Grinches" during this holiday season, as they have shown the ability to share the rock. Coastal has six players averaging seven points or more in the first three games, led by junior Jasmine Tyler’s (Jacksonville, Fla./Okaloosa C.C.) 12.0 points a game.

...Then Taking the Gifts Away

Coastal had 22 steals in the 51-47 victory over UNC Wilmington Nov. 30, as junior Kim Turner (West Memphis, Ark./Hiwassee C.C.) had seven thefts and junior Jasmine Tyler (Jacksonville, Fla./Okalossa C.C.) added six. Coastal is averaging 15.0 steals a game and has a +8.3 turnover margin.

Turner Has a Block Party Against UNCW

Junior Kim Turner (West Memphis, Ark./Hiwassee C.C.) had three of Coastal’s five blocks in the 51-47 win over UNC Wilmington Nov. 30. Turner now has five blocks for the season and Coastal is averaging 2.7 blocks per game.

A Half Does Not Tell the Whole Story

In the first three games of the season, the Coastal women’s basketball team has not paid attention to the halftime score. In wins over Campbell and UNC Wilmington, Coastal trailed at halftime, by one to Campbell and by four to UNCW. Coastal had a halftime lead on Anderson, 42-36, but lost to the Trojans 77-74.

Tyler Makes It Happen In All Phases Against Campbell

Juniors Jasmine Tyler (Jacksonville, Fla./Okaloosa C.C.) put together a complete game in leading the Lady Chanticleers to their win over Campbell, Nov. 23. Tyler led the Lady Chants with CCU game-highs of 13 points, nine rebounds, four assists and four steals in 31 minutes off the bench. For the season, she is now averaging 12.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.3 steals a contest.

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. The two have combined to average 14.3 points and 7.6 rebounds per game this season.

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.

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 will play its second game in three days, hosting Appalachian State at Kimbel Arena, Thu., Dec. 2 at 7 p.m.