Radford, Va. -- The Radford University women’s basketball (11-12, 5-5 Big South) team falls to a Coastal Carolina University (8-13, 4-6 Big South) team that hit big shots at the end of the game to make the score 50-46 Feb. 19, in Conway, S.C. Coastal went 4-for-4 in the last 48 seconds to hold off the Highlanders.
Coastal opened the game on a 6-0 run in the first three minutes off of three
points from junior Kim Turner (West Memphis, Ark./Hiwassee C.C.) and a three
from senior Courtney Brown (Chesapeake, Va./Western Branch). Radford led 7-6 at 14:30 on a three from Shavon Earp (Hampton, Va./Pittsburgh/Hampton HS), but a three from junior Jasmine Tyler (Jacksonville, Fla./Okaloosa C.C.) at 12:51 put the Chants back on top 9-7.
Coastal would get as much as a four-point lead at 6:10 (15-11) on a jumper from
junior Demaria Young (Memphis, Tenn./Walters State C.C.). With one minute
left, Alisha Jones (Mesa, Az./Temple JC) hit a layup to give Radford a 17-16 lead. Coastal, however, would take an 18-17 lead on a layup from sophomore Alisha Dill (Johnson City, Tenn./Science Hill) at 37 seconds left.
The first half was turnover plagued, as Radford had 21 turnovers, while Coastal
had 11 miscues. The Lady Chants shot 23.1 percent from the field, with Young
leading the way with six points. Earp led Radford with five points.
Coastal had a five-point lead on two occasions in the start of the second half,
the latest at 15:40 on a Dill layup. Radford then went on a 7-0 run and took a
27-25 lead on free throws from Corrie Fertitta (Roanoke, Va. Northside HS). The Lady Chants would take a three-point lead at 12:04 on a Tyler jumper, but a 7-2 run from the Highlanders gave them a 36-32 lead at 8:43. The game would be tied eight times in the second half, the latest at 2:41. Coastal then would take the lead for good at 2:23 on a Brown layup. Turner would hit two free throws with 48 seconds left to give CCU a four-point lead. After a jumper from Sarah Stephens (Hampton, Va./Hampton), freshman C.J. Ware (Decatur, Ga./Lakeside) then hit two free throws with 19 seconds left to preserve the 50-46 win.
Radford was led by Stephens, who had 12 points and 15 rebounds. Taryn Causey (Collierville, Tenn.) added 11 points.
Coastal has won three of its last four games. Dill led the Lady Chants with 12
points, while Brown and Turner added 11. Turner also had eight rebounds and
six steals. Coastal shot 36 percent from the field, but 50 percent from
three-point range.
The Highs will tip off with Charleston Southern Monday Feb. 21 at 7:00 p.m.
