Coastal gashes Gardner-Webb to get to 20 wins

CONWAY -- Coastal Carolina became the fastest Big South team to reach 20 wins by thumping Gardner-Webb on Thursday night at Kimbel Arena, 96-60. CCU is now 20-4, reaching the 20 win mark for the ninth time in school history.

CCU also improved to 4-0 in the games immediately following losses. The Chants have won those games by an average of 32 points.

This game was a blowout at the start. Coastal raced out to a 10-2 lead at 17:03 on a Chad Gray jumper. The Chanticleers stretched the lead to double digits (14-4) on a Kierre Greenwood layup at 13:53. Coastal, who shot 62.9 percent in the first half, took a 30-14 lead at the nine-minute mark on a Danny Nieman fast-break layup. The lead extended to 23 (42-19) with 2:49 left on a thunderous dunk from Chris Evans. The Chants took a 50-21 lead into the lockerrroom on a three from Logan Johnson with 35 seconds remaining.

Mario Edwards was on fire in the first half, going 6-of-9 from the field for 13 points. He also had five first-half assists. Joseph Harris and Johnson added eight points apiece. Coastal held Gardner-Webb to just 25 percent shooting in the first 20 minutes and outrebounded the Bulldogs 25-12. Anton Silver did have 11 first-half points for the Bulldogs.

Coastal shot 57.1 percent in the second half, extending the lead to as much as 46 points at the 5:35 mark on an Evans layup. Eleven different Chanticleers scored, as Tre Lee and Jon Pack each hit two jumpers in the final 6:33 and Marcus Macellari scored his first points as a Chanticleer on two free throws.

The 36-point margin was the highest against a Division I team by Coastal since a 61-21 win over Georgia Southern Jan. 2, 1997.

The Chants get to 20 wins for the first time since 2005-06 and the ninth time in school history. It also is the fastest Coastal has ever earned 20 wins and it becomes the fourth school that Head Coach Cliff Ellis has guided a team to that win landmark. Ellis also coached South Alabama, Clemson and Auburn to 20-win seasons.

The Chanticleers had five players score in double figures, led by Edwards’ 18 points. Harris added 16 points and made it a double-double with 11 rebounds. Nieman had 13 points and six assists, while Johnson and Evans had 10 points apiece. Nieman joined Edwards and Greenwood with six assists apiece, as the Chants had 21 total assists to just eight turnovers.

Coastal had its second-highest field-goal percentage of the season, going 42-of-70 from the floor for 60 percent. Harris and Edwards were a combined 16-of-21 from the floor.

Coastal Carolina outrebounded Gardner-Webb 50-28 and held the Bulldogs to 31.9 percent from the floor and 7-of-30 from three-point range. The Chants also had 68 points in the paint and 25 fast-break points.

Coastal Carolina will host UNC Asheville Saturday, Jan. 6 at 4:30 p.m. It is a doubleheader with the women’s game against High Point beginning at 2 p.m. The game also is a Barefoot for Bare Feet game, as Head Coach Cliff Ellis will coach barefoot for recognition of the Samaritan’s Feet charity.