RADFORD, Va. - Freshman Danny Nieman hit a free throw with 0.5 seconds remaining in the game to break a 51-51 tie and give the Coastal Carolina University men's basketball team (22-5, 12-3 Big South) a 52-51 win over Radford (14-11, 10-5) Feb. 13 in Radford, Va.
Coastal Carolina led for most of the game and had as much as an 18-point lead, but the Highlanders battled all the way back to take a 50-49 lead with 1:47 left on a dunk from Art Parakhouski. Parakhouski then made it 51-49 by hitting 1-of-2 free throws with 1:18 left. Radford had another offensive possession, but Logan Johnson grabbed the defensive rebound, and then was fouled by Blake Smith. Johnson hit both free throws, tying the game at 51 with 17 seconds left. Coastal Carolina called a timeout to set up a defense. Radford would get in its offensive set, giving the ball to Joey Lynch-Flohr on the right elbow. Johnson then came in and stole the ball from Lynch-Flohr. He dished it to Nieman, who was fouled by Lynch-Flohr. After a Radford timeout and a video replay review, Nieman hit the first free throw in front of a raucous Highlander crowd. Nieman intentionally missed the second free throw, ending the game.
Coastal Carolina shot 51.6 percent from the floor in the first half and took a 37-21 lead into the lockerroom. A Johnson steal and dunk at 16:20 gave the Chants a 10-3 lead. Chad Gray then had the next five points for Coastal, making it 15-3 at 12:56. Gray made it 19-3 with a jumper at 10:59. Phillip Martin scored Radford's first field goal of the game at 10:48, but Dexter Moore answered with a three-pointer, giving the Chants a 22-5 advantage. Moore would hit another three at 9:25, giving the Chants a 25-8 lead. Radford would trim the advantage to 25-15 on a Parakhouski layup at 7:29, but Mario Edwards scored four straight points to get the Chant lead back to 14 points. Edwards then had two big three's for Coastal's biggest lead of the game (37-19) with 1:17 left.
Edwards had 10 first-half points on 4-of-7 shooting from the floor. Gray added nine points while Harris had four points and four assists in the first 20 minutes. Lazar Trifunovic had six first-half points to go along with five rebounds. Radford was 8-of-26 from the floor in the first 20 minutes.
Radford started the second half on a 15-1 run in the first 6:50, as Trifunovic's jumper made it 38-36. Harris hit Coastal's first field goal of the second half at 10:53 on a Harris jumper, making it 43-38 Chants. Parakhouski would again cut the Coastal lead to two with a free throw, but Edwards answered with a three on the other end, making it 46-41 at 8:14. Nieman made it 48-41 at 7:30, but Radford would then go on an 8-1, taking its first lead of the game and setting up the late-game drama.
Edwards and Gray had 13 and 12 points, respectively, to lead Coastal. Johnson added seven points and a game-high four steals. Coastal shot 38 percent for the game and were 6-of-17 from three-point range.
Radford was led by Parakhouski's 16 points and nine rebounds, while Trifunovic added 13 points and nine boards. Radford ended the game shooting 40 percent from the floor. It was the first time this season that Coastal has won a game shooting at a lower percentage than its opponent. Radford also was just 13-of-23 from the free-throw line.
Coastal now has a two-game advantage on Radford in the Big South standings with three conference games to go. Coastal is now a game-and-a-half ahead of Winthrop in the conference standings.
Coastal Carolina wraps up its three-game road trip Monday, Feb. 15 at North Carolina Central. Tip off is at 7 p.m., in Durham, N.C.
