Over the past two years, Coastal Carolina has sunk a shot in the final seconds of the game to defeat Campbell by one. The Lady Chanticleers were forced to sit through another close game, surviving a Campbell rally from as many as 16 down to escape Carter Gym with their third meeting in three years.
Coastal Carolina held a 13-point lead at the half, 65-61, led by 12 points and four assists from sophomore guard Nikki Reddick. Reddick was 2-for-5 from three-point range and 2-for-3 from the free-throw line in the first half. She finished with a team-high 22 points, four assists and three steals.
The Lady Camels changed their defense in the second half, countering with some double-teaming and working away at the Lady Chants’ lead, whittling it down to single digits when Campbell guard Stacey Hinkle (Thomasville, N.C./Ledford) sunk one of her two treys with 5:10 remaining in the game. Lady Chants’ guard Whitney Shearer, who scored six points in the final five minutes of the game, stretched the lead back to 10 with a lay-up, but Campbell countered with two of forward April Cromartie’s (Garland, N.C./Union) game-high 24 points.
A pair of baskets by Cromartie and a pair of free-throws from freshman guard Vakara Forrest (Hayes, Va./Gloucester) cut the lead to four before Shearer hit two more to keep CCU just ahead of Campbell with 2:38 remaining.
Shearer then sealed the CCU win when she stole a Cromartie pass at mid-court with :02 left in the game. |
In addition to Reddick’s 22 points and Shearer’s 16 points, center Crystal Brown tallied a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds in the win.
Hinkle was the only other Lady Camel to tally double-digits, scoring 10 points and adding five assists. Carrie Emory (Newport, N.C./West Carteret) led the offense with six assists and a steal, while Jessica Stanley (Rushville, Ohio/Fairfield Union) scored a career-high eight points in the loss.
Campbell remains busy with a road game at Norfolk State on the schedule, Wednesday. The Lady Camels will return to Carter Gym for their Atlantic Sun opener, Saturday, against Belmont University at 2 p.m. Coastal Carolina will travel to UNC Wilmington, Saturday. [box score]