ROCK HILL, S.C. (WPDE) - The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers lost to the Winthrop Eagles 67-57 on Saturday in Rock Hill, South Carolina, before a crowd of 1,935 at Winthrop Coliseum. Coastal played with just nine players. Starting point guard Kierre Greenwood served a one game suspension for violating team rules. Danny Nieman is still sidelined by a hip injury.
CCU got out to a 9-3 lead early. But Winthrop rallied after the first time out and closed out the first half on a 7-0 run to take an 11 point lead to the locker room.
Coastal lost their third straight Big South Conference game for the first time in three years. The Chants are now 17-8 overall, 10-5 in the conference.
Sam McLaurin led CCU with 12 points and eight rebounds. Dexter Moore chipped in with ten points. Coastal was ranked second in the nation in field goal percentage at the beginning of the week, hitting better than 50 percent. Against Winthrop, CCU was held to 42 percent shooting. The difference was Winthrop's ability to hit 7 of 18 from 3-point range. Coastal hit just 3 of 11 from beyond the arc.
Coastal was outrebounded 38-34. The Chants also had 14 turnovers to just nine for the Eagles.
Andre Jones led three Winthrop players in double figures with 15 points. CCU's leading scorers, Anthony Raffa and Chris Gradnigo were held to a total of just 12 points against the Eagles. Raffa and Gradnigo collectively shot 5 of 20 from the field.
Coastal Carolina returns home to face Big South Conference leader UNC-Asheville on Tuesday, February 14 at 7 p.m. at Kimbel Arena in Conway.
The Cliff Ellis Show airs on Sunday at noon on WPDE NewsChannel 15. WPDE Sports Director Rich Chrampanis and Coach Ellis will break down this week's games against Campbell, High Point and Winthrop. Coach Ellis will also give viewers a scouting report on the Chanticleers next contest against UNC-Asheville.
