Postgame radio interview with Elijah McCadden

Postgame radio interview with Brian Burg

PENSACOLA, Fla. –  Elijah McCadden tallied 15 points, four rebounds and four assists, and Georgia Southern held Coastal Carolina to 38 percent shooting to earn a 70-64 win over the Chanticleers in the first round of the Hercules Tire Sun Belt Men's Basketball Championship Thursday night in the Pensacola Bay Center.

The Eagles (13-15) advance to the quarterfinals and will take on second seed and defending champion Appalachian State Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET in the Pensacola Bay Center. The Eagles and Mountaineers have never played in the Sun Belt Tournament, and App swept the season series this year.

Eagles of the Game 
Andrei Savrasov collected 12 points, six rebounds and a steal, and Kamari Brown chipped in 10 points to go along with eight rebounds and two blocked shots. Cam Bryant made three 3-pointers and totaled nine points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal.

Key Moments 
After Georgia Southern pushed a 10-point halftime lead to 14 on a Tre Cobbs triple from the wing early in the second half, Coastal Carolina (16-13) responded by scoring 13 straight points, trimming the margin to 43-42 on a Rudi Williams jumper. 

McCadden stemmed the tide with four consecutive points, a floater in the lane and a pull-up jumper, and the Eagles used an 8-1 run to push the lead back to 10 points. Bryant made consecutive 3-pointers, and Savrasov capped the spurt with a steal at halfcourt and a run-out dunk that made the score 58-48 with 7:58 remaining.

The margin stayed above five points until the final 1:16 of the game, when Williams made two free throws to trim the deficit to 66-62. Both teams missed shots on their next trips down the floor before Brown knocked down two from the charity stripe for the Eagles with 36.8 seconds left. Williams hit a jumper with 24.2 to go, but McCadden sealed the win with two free throws with 8.2 seconds left on the clock.

The Eagles used an 18-4 run over 10:25 of the first half to open a 34-24 cushion at halftime. Bryant started the spurt with a triple, and seven different Eagles scored during the stretch. GS held the Chanticleers to 2 for 16 from the field with three turnovers during the run.

Stats and Notes
- The Eagles shot 47 percent for the game and 50 percent in the first half.
- GS made a season-high nine 3-pointers
- The Eagles held Coastal Carolina to 31 percent shooting in the first period.