CONWAY, SC – Playing a rare New Year's Eve game, the UNC Greensboro women’s basketball team lost 68-54 to Coastal Carolina Friday afternoon at Kimbel Arena.
UNCG (4-6) sophomore guard Kristen Boone had 11 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals. Meghan Chamberlain added eight points for the Spartans.
Coastal (5-2) had four players score in double figures led by Amber Rose’s 14 points. Alisha Dill had 13 points, while Kim Turner and Calisha Yates had 12 and 10 points respectively.
Coastal used a 9-0 run to begin the second half that gave the Chanticleers their largest lead of the game, 50-25, with 15:44 showing on the clock. UNCG showed its mettle by running off a rather large 26-9 run to get within eight points, 59-51, with 6:38 to go.
A steal at mid court by Boone led to a layup by Kemena Brooks, which got the Spartans to within eight, but that was as close as the Spartans would get as Coastal answered with nine straight points to go back up 68-51 with 3:30 remaining.
Coastal closed the first half on a 16-0 run over the final 6:07 to take a 41-25 lead to the break. Boone had tied the game at 25-25 for the Spartans on a put-back layup at the 6:07 mark, but that proved to be the last points UNCG could muster in the half.
Tyler would bury a jumper to start the run for Coastal, while Young knocked down a 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded, sending the Chanticleers into the locker room with a comfortable advantage.
Boone paced UNCG with six points in the opening 20 minutes, while Meghan Chamberlain had five points. Turner scored Coastal’s first eight points of the game, before sitting down with two early fouls. Rose and Dill each provided seven points.
Today’s game marked the first time the Spartans have played on the last day of the calendar year since a 71-69 loss to Tulane at the UNCG Marriott Classic in 1995.
UNCG returns to the court on Monday to host Southern Conference rival Chattanooga at Fleming Gym beginning at 7 pm.
Meanwhile, Coastal Carolina will host Savannah State on Monday at 7 pm.
AGATE
COASTAL CAROLINA 68, UNC GREENSBORO 54
UNC GREENSBORO (4-6)
BOONE, Kristen 4-12 3-5 11; CHAMBERLAIN, Meghan 3-5 2-4 8;
GRIMSLEY, Gini 3-9 0-0 7; BYRD, Jasmine 2-8 2-3 6; DIXON, Jasmine
2-5 1-5 5; OTAMIRI, Irene 2-6 0-0 4; LATHAM, KaLeah 0-0 4-4 4;
LING, Ashley 2-2 0-0 4; CURRENT, Ashley 1-1 1-2 3; BROOKS, Kemena
1-1 0-0 2; BLAIR, Caroline 0-2 0-2 0. Totals 20-51 13-25 54.
COASTAL CAROLINA (5-2)
ROSE, Amber 4-9 4-4 14; DILL, Alisha 4-8 2-3 13; TURNER, Kim 5-10
2-2 12; YATES, Calisha 3-13 2-2 10; YOUNG, Demaria 2-6 0-2 5;
PEKONEN, Joanna 2-5 1-3 5; TYLER, Jasmine 2-5 0-0 5; NUNN, Kairsten
1-1 2-2 4; LAUG, Vanessa 0-0 0-0 0; WARE, C.J. 0-1 0-0 0. Totals
23-58 13-18 68.
Halftime: Coastal Carolina 41-25. 3-point goals-UNC Greensboro 1-8 (GRIMSLEY, Gini 1-4; BYRD, Jasmine 0-3; OTAMIRI, Irene 0-1), Coastal Carolina 9-20 (DILL, Alisha 3-6; YATES, Calisha 2-5; ROSE, Amber 2-5; YOUNG, Demaria 1-2; TYLER, Jasmine 1-2). Fouled out--UNC Greensboro-OTAMIRI, Irene, Coastal Carolina-None. Rebounds-UNC Greensboro 38 (OTAMIRI, Irene 5; BOONE, Kristen 5), Coastal Carolina 38 (DILL, Alisha 7). Assists-UNC Greensboro 7 (BOONE, Kristen 4), Coastal Carolina 17 (YOUNG, Demaria 5). Total fouls-UNC Greensboro 18, Coastal Carolina 24. A-337.
- UNCG -