Postgame interview with
Brian Burg
STATESBORO – Tyrik Dixon tallied 21 points, five rebounds, five steals and three assists, and Coastal Carolina shot 51 percent from the field to earn a 79-62 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball win over Georgia Southern Friday night in Hanner Fieldhouse.
Eagles of the Game
Eric Boone scored all 17 of his team-leading points in the second half, and
Elijah McCadden finished the game with 11 points, seven rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot.
Zack Bryant posted 14 points, two assists, two blocked shots and a steal.
Key Moments
Coastal Carolina (12-3, 6-2) capped the first half with a 19-1 run to open a 38-25 cushion at the break. Garrick Green scored 10 of his 15 first-half points during the stretch, and the Chanticleers held Georgia Southern to 2 for 8 from the floor and forced five turnovers.
After Coastal Carolina pushed the margin to 15 early in the second half,
Kamari Brown and
Cam Bryant each hit 3-pointers, and
Zack Bryant's driving layup trimmed the lead to 47-40 with 13:28 to go. The Chants responded with a 15-4 spurt, and Daivon Stephens' layup off a turnover made the score 62-44 midway through the second half.
The cushion would grow to as many as 20 points before Georgia Southern (10-8, 4-5) made a final run. The Eagles held the Chants without a field goal for 4:07 and scored 10 straight points on the other end to cut the lead to 70-60 with 3:57 to go. But the Eagles went cold and missed six of their final seven shots of the contest.
Stats and Notes
- Georgia Southern shot 34 percent for the game and 27 percent from 3-point range, while Coastal Carolina scored 21 points off of 15 Eagle turnovers.
- It was the first game of a four-game season series between the teams.
- Coastal Carolina ended a four-game losing skid against the Eagles.
Next Up
The Eagles and Chanticleers will play again tomorrow at 4 p.m. in Hanner Fieldhouse, and the contest will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and the GS Sports Network.
It's Hometown Heroes Night, presented by the Georgia Army National Guard - All military personnel, first responders and healthcare workers receive a free ticket with a valid ID or badge. Georgia Southern is also running a ticket special for the game – the Family 4 Pack, which consists of four upper reserved tickets for $60.
