Saturday’s area sports briefs: Coastal Carolina women fall on buzzer-beater

CHARLESTON Charleston Southern’s Rachelle Coward capped her 32-point performance with a running, one-handed desperation 3-pointer from 35-feet away that found nothing but net as time expired to give Charleston Southern a 69-66 win over Coastal Carolina on Saturday.

The loss drops the Chanticleers to 10-8 (3-6, Big South) as the win snaps the Buccaneers’ three-game skid and improves them to 12-8 (5-4, Big South).

Myrtle Beach High School graduate Shatia Cole continued her impressive rookie campaign with a career-high 22 points, including 4-of-5 from deep and junior Olivia Irick poured in a season-high 20 points. Coward led all scorers with her fourth 30-plus point game of the season and Carolina Forest graduate Lakeitha Alston pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds.

Coastal finished with a 50-30 rebounding margin on its way to a 23-18 edge in second chance points. Charleston Southern hoisted 25 3-pointers, making nine to nearly equal its season average.

Coastal Carolina (10-8, 3-6 BSC) – Cole, Shatia 7-10 4-4 22; Irick, Olivia 7-18 5-6 20; Henry, Angelica 4-12 1-2 9; Maddox, Shanika 3-10 1-4 7; Jordan, AJ 2-4 2-2 6; Pippin, Savanah 1-7 0-1 2; Epley, Taylor 0-1 0-0 0; Carter, Kira 0-4 0-0 0; Grambley, Courtney 0-0 0-0 0; Puckett, Alexx 0-0 0-0 0; Cook, Kayla 0-2 0-0 0; Hamrick, Jena 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 24-70 13-19 66.

Charleston Southern (12-8, 5-4 BSC) – Coward, Rachelle 9-18 9-9 32; Bratcher, Erin 5-8 0-0 12; Alston, Lakeitha 4-12 2-4 11; Dotson, Anicia 2-5 4-5 8; Sanders, Shannon 1-3 0-0 3; Jones, Shambreka 1-1 0-0 2; Wharton, Abby 0-1 1-2 1; Kirkpatrick, Kirklin 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 22-50 16-20 69.

Halftime–Charleston Southern 30-25. 3-Point Goals–CCU 5-15 (Cole, Shatia 4-5; Irick, Olivia 1-3; Carter, Kira 0-1; Cook, Kayla 0-2; Hamrick, Jena 0-1; Henry, Angelica 0-3), Charleston Southern 9-25 (Coward, Rachelle 5-10; Bratcher, Erin 2-5; Alston, Lakeitha 1-5; Sanders, Shannon 1-3; Kirkpatrick, Kirklin 0-1; Dotson, Anicia 0-1). Fouled Out–Maddox, Irick, Dotson. Rebounds–CCU 50 (Maddox 11), Charleston Southern 30 (Alston 12). Assists–CCU 6 (Henry 3), Charleston Southern 8 (Alston 5). Total Fouls–CCU 18, Charleston Southern 14. Att.–705.

CCU indoor track and field

• CLEMSON The Coastal Carolina women’s cross country team had 27 top-10 finishes – and three victories – in the 10-team Clemson Invitational indoor track and field meet over the weekend.

Letitia Saayman won the 3,000 meter run (10:09.40) and the 1,600-meter relay team – Erica Peake, Qwontajah Johnson, Santresa Jamison, Sharmaine Barnes – took first (4:04.17) on Saturday, a day after Kierra Gabe won the high jump (5 feet, 5 inches).

Sophie Perry had a pair of second-place finishes, with one in the mile (5:02.80) and the other in the 800 meters (2:18.54). She was the top collegiate in both events. Mary Lawrence tied for second in the pole vault, with a school-record 12-43/4 performance.

Other Chanticleers with top-10 performances were Saturday were: Emily Marchini (3,000, fourth, 10:29.09); Shelby Nicosia (3,000, fifth, 10:29.24); Peake (200, second, 24.68); Barnes (200, 10th, 25.73); Shantelle Patterson (weight throw, fourth, 54-1); Anjulia Nicholson (weight throw, fifth, 49-41/2); Christian Johnson (mile, fifth, 5:05); and Brittany Connor (weight throw, eighth, 46-101/4).

Other CCU performers with top-10s Friday were: Christian Johnson (800, fourth, 2:19.60); Patterson (shot put, third, 41-01/4); Connor (shot put, seventh, 36-7); Naomi Atkins (shot put, eighth, 35-91/2); Darriale Henley (60, fourth, 7.76; long jump, fifth, 17-103/4); Gabrielle Lee (60, fifth, 7.78); Jamison (400, eighth, 57.86); Qwontajah Johnson (400, ninth, 58.51); Barnes (400, 10th, 58.78); Davis (60 hurdles, eighth, 8.97); and Camille Hurley (60 hurdles, 10th, 9.04)

Coastal’s other 1,600-meter relay team – Christina Davis, Caitlin Baker, Ruby Durham, Hurley – was fourth (4:04.17).

CCU men’s tennis

•  Coastal Carolina 6, (at) The Citadel 1 | The Chanticleers opened the season with a victory over the Bulldogs.

ABA basketball

• (At) South Carolina Warriors 140, Atlanta Experience 112 | The Warriors improved to 13-0 with a victory Saturday at the Carolina Forest Recreation Center.

High school girls’ basketball

•  (At) South Florence 81, Carolina Forest 71 | The Panthers had five players foul out as they fell to South Florence in triple-overtime on Friday.

Ashley Turner recorded a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds and Britney Burgess had 12 points and six assists for Carolina Forest.

•  CAROLINA FOREST (71) – Katelyn Beaty 4, Whitney Burgess 6, Jackie Brengle 17, Britney Burgess 12, Christina Wright 4, Marisa Runyon 17, Ashley Turner 11.

•  SOUTH FLORENCE (81) – Natisha Knight 2, Shakeyla Harley 18, Shantajah Barnes 11, Ashley Briggs 10, Bethany Wilder 3, Shanequa McCants 4, Wayan Williams 9, Brianna Kelly 24.

• 3-point goals: Carolina Forest 5 (Runyon 4, Beaty 1); South Florence 1 (Briggs). Team fouls: Carolina Forest 29, South Florence 25. Fouled out: W. Burgess, B. Burgess, Wright, Runyon, Marissa Simonds. Technical fouls: None.

• Records: Carolina Forest (10-10, 2-3), South Florence (N/A, 2-3).