Sat, 13 Mar 2010 10:16:27 +0000

HIGH POINT, N.C.- Behind a 26-point performance from junior Sydnei Moss, the No. 5-seeded Coastal Carolina University women’s basketball team defeated No. 4 Charleston Southern, 52-44, in the quarterfinals of the 2010 Advance Auto Parts Big South Conference Women’s Basketball Championship on Friday, March 12. The three-day tournament is being played at the Millis Center in High Point, N.C.

Both teams came out with back-and-forth scoring to start the game as they worked their way to be even at 11 five minutes into the half. The Buccaneers shooting went cold as the Chanticleers tightened their defense, starting an 8-0 run that lasted for nearly 10 minutes until the 5:16 mark, putting Coastal ahead 19-11. The teams exchanged late baskets with the Chants taking a 27-19 lead into the intermission. Coastal held Charleston Southern to just 24.1 percent (7-for-29) shooting in the first half, while connecting on 42.9 percent (12-for-28) of their shots from the floor.

The Buccaneers came out in the second half on a 10-2 run, closing within four of the Chants 31-27, with four minutes gone in the second stanza. A Moss field goal plus a bonus free-throw at 11:52 sparked the Chanticleers’ 11-4 surge that extended the lead to 11 at 42-31 with 10:13 remaining in the second half. After several exchanges of baskets, Charleston Southern made a push, as Kelsey Wasmer’s five points in a 7-0 run over a minute cut the Coastal lead to four, 44-40 with 5:03 remaining. Senior Kendra Reynolds hit a jumper with 3:54 ticking on the clock, giving Coastal a 46-40 lead. However, the Bucs did not back down as Shay Jones hit a lay-up to put the game within four, 46-42, with 2:49 left on the clock. As the clock wound down, the Bucs got into desperation mode, but the Chanticleers pulled away by hitting six of their eight shots from the charity stripe in the final two minutes.

The Chanticleer defense held the Buccaneers to 28.1 percent (16-for-57) shooting from the field as Coastal shot 38.5 (20-for-55) from the field, with 12 points coming from 15 Bucs’ turnovers. Charleston Southern, which entered the game making 8.69 three-pointers a game, finished just 4-of-19 from beyond the arc for 21.1 percent. CSU outrebounded Coastal 41-36.

Moss finished 11-of-19 from the field and scored 13 points in each half. Big South Defensive Player of the Year Amanda Stull recorded six steals and 13 points for the Chanticleers, while Katie White had a career-high 11 rebounds and five blocked shots. Wasmer, the Big South’s leading scorer, was limited to 12 points that were all scored in the second half. Ali Schwagmeyer pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds.

The Chanticleers will advance to the semifinals for the first time since 2006, taking on No. 1 seeded Gardner-Webb Saturday at 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast on SportSouth and MASN. Coastal Carolina is the first No. 5 seed to reach the semifinals since Radford in 2004. It is also the Chanticleers’ seventh trip to the Big South Semifinals during Alan LeForce’s 13 seasons as head coach.

WEST POINT, N.Y. - The Army men's cross country team has been selected by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) as a member of the 2009 All-Academic team, as announced by the Association on Monday.

Army earned a 3.07 cumulative team grade point average in the fall 2009 semester and finished 17th at the NCAA Northeast Regional Championship. For a team to be considered for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team award, they must have competed and compiled a team score at an NCAA Regional Championship and also have a minimum 3.00 team cumulative GPA.

Winners of their first NCAA Cross Country national title since 1954, Oklahoma State University was selected as the USTFCCCA's 2009 Scholar Team of the Year. The Cowboys also won their fifth straight NCAA Midwest Regional crown while authoring a 3.06 team GPA during the fall season.

Vanderbilt and Creighton led the full slate of All-Academic Team honorees with a cumulative team GPA of 3.67. A record total of 135 Division I men's programs received USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honors, up from 2008's total of 110.

Four of the top five and seven of the top 10 teams at the NCAA Cross Country Championships earned the honor. In addition, regional champions from all eight of the nine NCAA regions claimed All-Academic honors.

The ACC and SEC topped all other conferences with eight intuitions earning the academic plaudit. Six other conferences had seven members mentioned.

USTFCCCA NCAA Division I Men's Cross Country All-Academic Teams, 2009