Chants handle business against overmatched foe
Coastal Carolina basketball coach Cliff Ellis always schedules some early-season tune-up games to let his team build confidence and smooth out the rough edges before the tougher challenges ahead.
But in this case, the Chanticleers might have been better served with an intrasquad scrimmage Saturday as Piedmont International — a non-NCAA team belonging to the National Christian College Athletic Association’s Division II ranks – posed little resistance whatever.
Coastal Carolina would end up winning 116-35, and there isn’t much beyond the final score that needed to be said.
“These type of games, they really do help us, especially starting off how we did the first two games,” junior guard Elijah Wilson said. “It gives us a chance to work on things we need to work on and just gets us prepared to play the bigger schools.”
After opening the season with losses to Nevada and Hawaii in Honolulu, Hawaii, the Chants (2-2) have topped 100 points in consecutive games against Grace Bible College and now Piedmont International.
Wilson led the way Saturday with 25 points and seven rebounds, junior reserve Ron Trapps scored 17 points, senior reserve forward Michel Enanga had 16 points and eight rebounds, junior guard Colton Ray-St Cyr added 12 points and nine boards, senior forward Badou Diagne had 10 points, sophomore guard Jaylen Shaw chipped in nine points, eight assists and five rebounds and senior forward Marcus Freeman contributed nine points and eight rebounds off the bench.
The Chants shot 61.4 percent from the field while Piedmont International (0-5) shot just 19.7 percent overall – which was nonetheless better than the 10.7 percent (3-of-28) it shot in the first half.
“Well, No. 1 we were focused. That was the No. 1 thing,” Ellis said.
Coastal Carolina was without junior point guard Shivaughn Wiggins for a second straight game after he aggravated a hamstring injury while playing in the Chants’ season-opening games in Hawaii.
Ellis wasn’t sure if Wiggins would be able to return to action when the Chants visit College of Charleston on Tuesday night, so one positive for him Saturday was getting freshman guard Christian Adams (nine points, two assists) 26 minutes on the court.
“We saw something in Christian Adams in the last game where his energy and his defense was good, and I’d say the bright spot of this was being able to get him some major minutes,” Ellis said. “Because I don’t know what Tuesday brings with Shivaughn, but at least it’s given us an opportunity to play Christian and get him a lot of minutes.”
Coastal Carolina jumped out to a 25-1 lead as Piedmont International opened the game 0-for-11 from the field.
Wilson had perhaps the most entertaining play of the game in the second half when he stole the ball near midcourt to start a fastbreak and tossed it off the backboard to himself for an alley-oop.
“They actually had a bet in the locker room that I wouldn’t do it and I told them I would do it,” Wilson said. “I got a good opportunity to do it, so I just took advantage of it.”
COASTAL CAROLINA 116, PIEDMONT 35
PIEDMONT (0-4): Byrd 3-9 1-2 8, Valentine 0-10 0-0 0, Worles 5-15 4-4 18, Scippio 1-8 0-0 2, Hewitt 3-10 1-2 7, Flynt 0-2 0-0 0, Davis 0-4 0-0 0, Hazelwood 0-1 0-0 0, Doomy 0-1 0-0 0, Lippard 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 12-61 6-8 35.
COASTAL CAROLINA (2-2): Shaw 3-4 2-2 9, Curtis 2-2 1-2 5, Wilson 11-18 0-0 25, Diagne 4-9 0-0 10, Ray-St Cyr 4-6 3-4 12, Law 1-2 0-0 2, Adams 3-6 3-4 9, Enanga 6-7 3-6 16, Coleman 0-1 2-2 2, Trapps 5-9 2-4 17, Freeman 4-6 1-1 9. Totals 43-70 17-25 116.
Halftime—Coastal Carolina 60-11. 3-Point Goals—Piedmont 5-30 (Worles 4-12, Byrd 1-4, Hazelwood 0-1, Lippard 0-1, Flynt 0-2, Davis 0-4, Valentine 0-6), Coastal Carolina 13-31 (Trapps 5-9, Wilson 3-9, Diagne 2-5, Shaw 1-1, Enanga 1-2, Ray-St Cyr 1-3, Adams 0-1, Law 0-1). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Piedmont 22 (Hewitt 9), Coastal Carolina 59 (Curtis 10). Assists—Piedmont 6 (Valentine, Worles 2), Coastal Carolina 22 (Shaw 8). Total Fouls—Piedmont 24, Coastal Carolina 13. A—1,188.
Ryan Young: 843-626-0318, @RyanYoungTSN
Next game
Who | Coastal Carolina at College of Charleston
Where | TD Arena, Charleston
When | 7 p.m. Tuesday
Radio | WSEA-FM 100.3
This story was originally published November 21, 2015 at 8:00 PM with the headline "Chants handle business against overmatched foe."