Troy Erases Deficit, Falls Late

Saturday, January 20

Troy, Ala.

2 P.M.

Troy University

7-10 (2-4)

Coastal Carolina

11-8 (5-3)

Coastal Carolina

Troy

1/20/2018 5:38:00 PM | Basketball (W)

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

By: Wes Johnson

TROY, Alabama – Troy erased a 14-point second half deficit but was outscored 11-4 over the final five minutes eventually falling, 97-92, to Coastal Carolina on Saturday in Trojan Arena.

Kayla Robinson nearly single-handedly led the Trojan comeback scoring 16 points in the second half including seven straight during a 60-second span in the fourth quarter to give Troy (7-10, 2-4 Sun Belt) a short-lived 88-84 lead.

Coastal Carolina (11-8, 5-3) led 82-79 when Sky'Lynn Holmes made a layup to cut the deficit to one. Then, Robinson knocked down a jumper just inside the arc to put the Trojans ahead. After the Chanticleers responded, Robinson drove the lane and banked in a lay-in before the sophomore drained a three off a Jasmine Sanders steal to ignite the fans and force CCU to call a timeout with 6:11 to play.

It didn't take long for the Chanticleers to regain control of the game as DJ Williams and Naheria Hamilton combined to score six consecutive points and push Coastal Carolina back out front, 90-88. CCU capped a 9-0 run with a layup and free throw from Breelyn Blanding.

Troy was forced to keep pace in the first half as the Chants were 11-of-17 in the second quarter along and converted 8-of-15 3-pointers over the first 20 minutes. Jas Adams scored a game-high 23 points including nine from the free throw line.

Amber Rivers led five Troy scorers in double figures with 20 points, her second consecutive 20-point performance and fourth of the season. Sky'Lynn Holmes landed her third double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Harriet Winchester finished in double figures for the fifth time this year while freshman Jasmine Sander chipped in with 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting. Robinson coupled six assists with her 16 points on the afternoon.

QUOATABLE
"With a young team, I always equate it to a boat. When you plug one hole, another one pops up," Troy head coach Chanda Rigby said. "I feel like tonight, we plugged up a couple of holes. We shot a better percentage, we cut down on our turnovers, but we didn't cover their shooters very well in the first half and that's how we got down in a hole."

UP NEXT
Troy hosts Appalachian State on Monday at 5 p.m. in a game that was originally scheduled for last Thursday. The Trojans are 4-1 all-time against the Mountaineers.

NOTEWORTHY
• Troy finished with five players in double figures for the second time this season. Rivers, Kayla Robinson, Jasmine Robinson, Harriet Winchester and Amanda Mendoza combined to score 69 points against Georgia Southern on Dec. 19.

• Amber Rivers is the first Trojan to score 20-plus points in consecutive games since Ashley Beverly Kelley did so in three straight games from Feb. 27 to March 5, 2016.

• Troy has scored 90 or more points six times this season and 80-plus nine times.

For more information on Troy women's basketball, visit TroyTrojans.com or follow the team on Twitter at @TroyTrojansWBB.