CONWAY, S.C. — DJ Williams scored a game-high 26 points and hit two free throws with five seconds remaining Friday as the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers rallied from a nine-point, fourth-quarter deficit to knock off the Bowling Green State University women’s basketball team 81-80 in the Coastal Carolina Tournament at the HTC Center.
Williams also had 12 rebounds for the Chanticleers (3-1), who outscored the Falcons 27-15 in the final quarter. Caitlin Roche added 21 points, Naheria Hamilton had 11 points and six rebounds, and Aja Blount finished with 10 points as Coastal Carolina made 10 of its 18 shots from the field in the fourth.
Sydney Lambert paced Bowling Green (3-2) with 21 points and four assists. Morgan McMillen finished with 15 points and eight rebounds and Angela Perry added 12 points and four rebounds as the Falcons were just 11 of 30 from the field in the second half. Four BG players also fouled out of the game.
Lambert hit her fourth 3-pointer of the game with 8:21 to go that gave the Falcons a 68-59 lead, but the Chanticleers kept chopping away at their defcit. They got it to four, at 70-66, after Roche hit a pair of free throws with 5:41 left. Bowling Green increased it to eight after a pair of free throws by Cecil and a layup from Perry at the 4:39 mark.
Williams scored twice inside to cut it back to four before McMillen’s 3 with 3:31 to go pushed the Falcons lead to 77-70. Williams went on personal 4-0 run as Coastal Carolina cut the deficit to 78-76 at the 2:16 mark. Perry hit a pair of free throws with 1:57 to go to make it a four-point BG advantage.
However, Torrie Cash hit a free throw, then Williams made a jumper with 52 seconds remaining that made it 80-79. McMillen missed a 3 and the ball went out of bounds off the Falcons with 20 seconds remaining. Perry then fouled Williams with five seconds to go, and Williams converted both free throws to give the Chanticleers the lead.
After a timeout by BG, Lambert’s 3 was off the mark.
The Falcons will play Mercer here at 11:30 a.m. Sunday.
First Published November 24, 2018, 2:53 a.m.
