Box Score
CONWAY, S.C. – Coastal Carolina went on a 13-4 run in the final 2:13 of the contest and scored the game-winner with 1.3 seconds left to rally for a 72-70 win over the University of South Alabama men's basketball team Saturday afternoon at the HTC Center.
The Chanticleers (12-16, 6-9) made all five shots from the floor, and Zac Cuthbertson (6) and Demario Beck (5) combined for 11 of CCU's 13 points during that stretch. On the other end, USA went 1 for 2 but had three turnovers.
Senior Nick Davis put the Jaguars (14-13, 7-7) up 66-59 with 2:21 left on a triple, but the Chanticleers responded immediately on a layup by Beck for the first of eight straight points. Cuthbertson scored the final six, the last coming with 1:18 left, for a 67-66 lead.
Jaguar junior Rodrick Sikes made 2 of 3 at the free-throw line with 8.2 seconds left to tie the game at 70 but Beck hit a layup with 1.3 on the clock to break the deadlock and give the game to the Chanticleers.
GAME FACTS
- Coastal Carolina used a 15-4 run midway through the first half to take a 20-13 lead, but South Alabama scored eight unanswered and neither team led by more than three the rest of the half
- USA went up as much as eight early in the second half after a jumper from sophomore Josh Ajayi
- The Chanticleers responded with a 12-2 run, including six unanswered from Jaylen Shaw, to go up 47-45
- With the score knotted at 51-51, Sikes scored four points, and the Jags got treys from Davis and sophomore Herb McGee for a 61-55 lead
- Artur Labinowicz made four free throws in a five-second span to trim the deficit to 61-59, but the Jags got a layup from Ajayi and a '3' from Davis for a 66-59 advantage
- Sikes scored a game-high 21 points on three 3-pointers; Ajayi had 13 points, and Davis and McGee had 12 each
- Labinowicz paced the Chants with 17 on 10-for-13 shooting at the free-throw line, and Jaylen Shaw had 10 assists
NOTES
- The Jaguars had their season-long three-game win streak snapped
- USA lost when leading at halftime for the first time since SIU Edwardsville on Dec. 10 to fall to 11-3 when up at the break
- South Alabama's 56.5 free-throw percentage is its lowest since converting 56.3 vs. Troy on Jan. 13; the team was shooting 77.9 percent in its previous eight games
- Sikes totaled eight points in the first half, ending his two-game run with at least 18 before intermission
- Sikes has scored 20 or more 10 times this season; the Jags are 6-4 in those games
- Ajayi just missed a double-double with a game-high nine rebounds
- McGee gave out a team-best five assists and tied his career high with four 3-pointers
- Shaw's assist total is the highest by a USA opponent this season
THEY SAID IT
Head Coach Matthew Graves
Opening statement: "Any time you on the road, to give yourself a chance to win, you want to feel good about how you played. Unfortunately, down the stretch, we didn't make enough winning plays. We missed some free throws that we've made in the past eight games, and we didn't get enough stops. We allowed them to drive the ball to easily late in the game and it really came back to haunt us."
On the Coastal Carolina comeback: "Ultimately, on the road or at home, you have to make tough plays at the end. A couple of turnovers and missed free throws are going to cost you. We've got to learn from it. We return home and have to be ready to play a team that may be the hottest team in the league in Louisiana-Monroe."
On individual efforts: "Overall we competed. Josh and Nick almost had double-doubles and I thought they played hard. Rodrick stepped up and made some shots. It's good to see that we're starting to make some more shots, but we have to continue to guard."
UP NEXT
South Alabama opens its final homestand of the season on Thursday at 7:05 p.m. against UL Monroe.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
Join the Jaguar Athletic Fund (JAF) Priority Fund, the unrestricted giving option of the University of South Alabama Athletics. Contributions to the Priority Fund directly support all 17 sports in addition to various support programming. For more information on how you can join visit: http://jaguarathleticfund.com/give
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