CONWAY, S.C. (Nov. 28, 2021) – A tough non-conference schedule continues for the Buccaneers as they fell to Coastal Carolina 55-41 Sunday afternoon inside HTC Center. The Bucs have lost two straight games to the Chanticleers, yet lead the all-time series 7-5. 

STAT OF THE GAME

Courtney Moore (Gainesville, Fla.) drained back-to-back threes to put ETSU within 10 at the 5:58 mark, both of which were the first made three-pointers for ETSU. However, the Chanticleers would take the next seven points, six of which from the free throw line, to extend their lead and put the Bucs away. Moore would add another three with 21 seconds left, giving her a team-high nine points.

PLAYERS OF THE GAME

Jamir Huston (Cleveland, Ohio) and Carly Hooks (Atlanta) scored a combined 14 points off the bench, as Hutson went a perfect 4-4 from the line. Hutson also added a team-high six boards.

Coastal Carolina’s Aja Blount posted a double-double with a game-high 16 points and a season-high 17 rebounds, 14 of which came on the defensive end and posted 8-10 shooting from the free throw line.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Chanticleers led for the entire first quarter, opening on an 8-2 run and eventually taking a 12-6 lead. The Bucs shot just 2-14 from the field in the first, with Burdick, Hooks, and Huston each recording two points, with Hutson earning her two from the free throw line. Only one three-pointer was made in the first quarter from both squads.

Each team only scored two points in the first two minutes of the second quarter, but the Bucs would make it a four-point game off a 6-0 run that saw production from Hooks and Hutson. The Chanticleers scored the final five points of the quarter to take a nine-point lead into halftime.

The Bucs shot just 21 percent from the field. Coastal managed a 40-percent clip from the field and just 2-10 from beyond the arc.

The Chants started hot and quick, marking an 8-0 run to make their lead 17 before a layup from Hutson stopped the bleeding. The two squads would go back and forth, the highest scoring quarter with 28 combined points, but Coastal would maintain that 17-point lead going into the fourth.

Coastal would grab a quick three after a scoring drought from both squads, but ETSU found its groove. Two threes from Moore and two layups from Amaya Adams (Kansas City, Mo.) would cut Coastal’s lead in half. The Chants were forced to take a 30-sec timeout, as momentum was building heavily for the Bucs to march back into this game.

The Bucs had some great looks down the stretch, but shots weren’t falling and Coastal was taking advantage, immediately going back up 17 with 2:20 remaining. Another three from Moore with 21 seconds remaining made it the score it was when the clock hit zeros.

NOTABLES

• ETSU, who entered the game averaging 57 points, scored a season-low 41.
• The Bucs shot 27 percent from the field, just the second time this season the Bucs have shot under 40 percent as a team. The Bucs were held to 22 percent shooting against #18 Georgia Tech.
• Moore scored a season-high nine points, all of which came from beyond the arc. Moore was the only Buc to record a triple.
• ETSU tied their season-high with 12 steals, forcing Coastal Carolina into 24 turnovers. Kaia Upton (Nashville, Tenn.) recorded four of those 12 steals for the Bucs.
• The Bucs went 6-8 from the free-throw line, ending a three-game streak of double-digit free throws made.
• The Bucs were outrebounded by Coastal 55-25, the most rebounds the Bucs have given up this season.

RECORDS UPDATE

• ETSU: 1-6
• Coastal Carolina: 6-0

NEXT UP

ETSU travels to face another Sun Belt opponent in App State on Wednesday, December 1^st at 5 p.m.

For more information on Buccaneer women’s basketball, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the women’s basketball page.