CONWAY, S.C. - Georgia Southern erased a 13-point second-half deficit against Coastal Carolina, but the Chanticleers rallied to pick up a 54-51 Sun Belt Conference women's basketball victory on Thursday evening at the HTC Center in Conway, S.C.

The Chanticleers (9-7, 3-2 SBC) improved to 9-2 at home on the year and kept the Eagles (3-13, 0-5 SBC) winless in Sun Belt play. The loss was the 10th straight for Georgia Southern, who will look to notch its first win of the 2018 calendar year on Saturday, traveling to Boone, N.C., for a 1 p.m. showdown with Appalachian State.

Coastal Carolina held the Eagles without a point for the last 4:21 of the first half and the first three minutes of the second half to build a 34-21 lead with seven minutes left in the third quarter. Georgia Southern's Trellanie English-Lurry hit a three-pointer at the seven minute mark of the period to halt the slide, then scored 11 points in the third quarter as the Eagles cut the deficit to seven, 43-36, at the end of the quarter.

In the fourth, the Eagles cut the lead to one, 43-42, on baskets by Alexis Brown, Hailey Dias-Allen and Sierra Butler in the first four minutes of the period. Coastal Carolina's scoreless streak of nine minutes and 19 seconds ended with 4:56 left in the game on Jas Adams' three-point play that put the Chanticleers back up four, 46-42. 

Hailey Dias-Allen knocked down two free throws for the Eagles with 4:42 left to make it a two-point game, 46-44, then Jakayvea Akins tied it up at 46-all with a jumper with four minutes left.

A pair of free throws from Coastal Carolina's DJ Williams put the Chanticleers back in front, but Alexis Brown drained a three-pointer with 3:23 left gives the Eagles a 49-48 lead. Williams answered for the home team with a free throw at the 3:09 mark, then a bucket in transition with 2:30 left put CCU up 51-49.

On the next Coastal Carolina possession, Brown stole a pass intended for Williams and was fouled on the other end of the floor. She hit one of two free throws to make it a one-point game, 51-50, with 1:31 left. Two more free throws from Williams pushed the lead to 53-50 with 1:03 left, then the Eagles' Sierra Butler made one of two free throws with 39.8 seconds left to cut the lead to two.

Butler then blocked a shot by the Chanticleers' Jas Adams on the other end, but the Eagles' Amira Atwater traveled on her drive to the basket with 21.9 seconds left. A Williams free throw made the lead three points with 17 seconds left, and the Eagles had a missed shot and a turnover in the final 17 seconds of the contest.

"I thought Trell gave us a big lift in the second half shooting the basketball," Georgia Southern Head Coach Kip Drown said. "We've talked all year about making shots, and she stepped up and did that. Our kids, they care. They really care and they want to do well, and they're getting closer and closer. We're gonna get this thing turned around. I have no doubt about it. This would have been a great win to have gotten on the road tonight. But now we have to pack it up, go to Appalachian State and get ready to play on Saturday night."

English-Lurry's 11 points in the third quarter tied Alexis Brown for the team lead, while Brown added a career-high six steals. Atwater had six assists and seven rebounds, both career highs. Jas Adams' 19 points led all scorers on the night for the Chanticleers, while Williams finished with 15 points and nine rebounds. 

Georgia Southern shot 33.9 percent from the floor (20-of-59), their best shooting performance in Sun Belt play so far this season. The Eagles shot 35 percent from three-point range (7-of-20) but struggled from the free throw line, hitting just 4-of-11 foul shots (36.4 percent). Coastal Carolina shot 32.8 percent from the floor (19-of-580 and just 17.6 percent from three-point range (3-of-17), while hitting 13-of-20 free throws (65 percent). Coastal Carolina came into the game outrebounding their opponents by more than seven boards per game and finished the contest and finished the night with a 49-34 edge on the glass, including an 18-11 edge on the offensive glass.