Field Level Media
Dec 1, 2021
Essam Mostafa posted his 12th career double-double as Coastal Carolina stunned South Carolina 80-56 Wednesday night in Conway, S.C.
The sophomore from Cairo, Egypt, scored 23 points -- 19 in the second half -- and snagged 13 rebounds. He helped the Chanticleers (3-2) break away from a one-point halftime lead with a 24-4 burst in the first eight minutes of the second half.
The Gamecocks (5-2) cut a 60-39 deficit down to 64-52 with 8:21 left, but the Chanticleers closed out the game on a 16-4 run in registering their second win over South Carolina in five meetings.
Kansas State transfer Rudi Williams scored 19 points -- a point short of his season and career high -- and Vince Cole matched his season high with 16 for the Chanticleers.
Erik Stevenson scored 12 points and Jacobi Wright added 11 as the only double-figure scorers for the Gamecocks, who were without Jermaine Couisnard, their second-leading scorer (13.5 ppg) who is sidelined due to a groin injury.
The Chanticleers led 31-18 before hitting a cold spell. They missed nine consecutive shots, allowing the Gamecocks to go on a 15-2 run that gave them a 33-32 lead. Josh Uduje hit a free throw with 7.2 seconds left in the period to put Coastal Carolina up 36-35 at the break.
The Chanticleers opened the second half on an 8-0 run before Chico Carter Jr. hit a 3-pointer to break the ice for South Carolina. The Chanticleers eventually ran out to the 60-39 cushion at the under-12 media timeout.
After starting the game by making 10 of their first 18 field-goal attempts, the Chanticleers finished the game only 24 of 57 (42.1 percent) from the field to South Carolina's 20 of 70 (28.6 percent). The home team also enjoyed a huge advantage at the free throw line, going 27 of 38 to South Carolina's 9 of 11, and the Chanticleers outrebounded the Gamecocks 49-38.
--Field Level Media