Coastal Carolina scored the game's first 11 points against Arkansas State on Saturday at the HTC Center in Conway, S.C., and the Chanticleers never looked back in an 80-65 victory over ASU.
ASU (11-5, 2-1) trailed 13-2 five minutes into the game, before cutting it to 33-26 at halftime against Sun Belt Conference newcomer Coast Carolina.
Things didn't got much better in the second half as ASU dropped its first Sun Belt game.
"I hate to put it on the first few minutes, but we looked a little flat and looked like we were in there to get a feel for the game," ASU Coach Grant McCasland said on the team's postgame radio show. "Games like this, on the road, in the Sun Belt, you better be ready to bring it from the jump."
Jaylen Shaw made two three-pointers in the first two minutes, and Demario Beck made another to put the Chanticleers (7-9, 2-1) up 9-0.
Amidou Bamba's layup gave Coastal Carolina an 11-0 lead.
ASU didn't make a shot until Rashad Lindsey's jumper eight minutes into the game, and by that time Coastal Carolina, which leads the Sun Belt in three-point attempts and makes, led 13-4.
ASU twice got to within three points in the first half, but couldn't get any closer.
Devin Carter's jumper at the outset of the second half cut Coastal Carolina's lead to 33-28, but the Chanticleers scored the next eight points to go up 41-28 and ASU never threatened again.
Jamiah Simmons led ASU with 14 points, while Lindsey and Deven Simms each had 10.
Carter scored seven points on 3 for 14 shooting and 1 for 6 on three-pointers. Donte Thomas played four minutes in the first half after picking up two fouls and finished with nine points.
ASU shot 36.4 percent from the floor and made 6 of 21 three-pointers.
Shaw made 5 of 6 three-pointers and had 24 points for the Chanticleers. Elijah Wilson had 19 points on 5 of 15 three-pointers and Artur Labinowicz had 11 points. They made 14 of 32 three-pointers as a team.
"That's part of playing at home and part of playing on the road," McCasland said. "We definitely looked like a road team."
SWAC MEN
ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF 71, ALABAMA STATE 63
PINE BLUFF -- Arkansas-Pine Bluff won its Southwestern Athletic Conference opener with offense, and it used its defense to win a second conference game in a row Saturday.
UAPB forced 29 turnovers and held Alabama State to 36.5 percent shooting in Saturday's victory at H.O. Clemmons Arena.
UAPB (3-13, 2-0), which beat Mississippi Valley State 105-92 on Monday, had 18 steals. Ghiavonni Robinson led the Golden Lions with 13 points, while Joe'Randle Toliver had 12 and Jayquan Lynch had 11. UAPB shot 43.9 percent from the field.
Alabama State (3-12, 1-2) led 21-13 in the first half, but UAPB went on a 15-5 run to go up 28-26 and took a 35-30 lead at halftime. The Golden Lions stretched their lead to 68-52 in the second half as they won consecutive games for the first time this season. UAPB improved to 2-0 in conference play for the first time in three years.
Sports on 01/08/2017