Women’s basketball struggles to keep up with Coastal Carolina, Mountaineers fall 80-53

Senior+guard+Ashley+Polacek+led+the+Mountaineers+with+13+points+in+the+80-53+loss+to+Coastal+Carolina+on+Jan.+18.

Lynette Files

Senior guard Ashley Polacek led the Mountaineers with 13 points in the 80-53 loss to Coastal Carolina on Jan. 18.

Zack Antrum, Senior Reporter

App State women’s basketball lost its second straight conference game on Saturday to Coastal Carolina 80-53. 

After the Mountaineers (4-13, 1-5 Sun Belt) took a very early lead, Coastal Carolina (15-2, 5-1 Sun Belt) went on a quick run at the beginning of the second quarter and didn’t look back. 

The Mountaineers were unable to get going offensively, especially from behind the three-point line, where they shot 16% in the game. 

Along with struggling to score, the Mountaineers had little answer for Coastal Carolina’s offense. Coastal guard and former all-Sun Belt selection DJ Williams led all scorers with 31 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. 

Sophomore forward Aja Blount put up 15 points for the Chanticleers as well.

Leading the way for the Mountaineers were senior guard Ashley Polacek, who posted 13 points and junior guard Pre Stanley, who finished with 10 points. Sophomore guard Brook Bigot scored five points and had four assists, and freshman forward Jackie Christ posted a career-high seven points off the bench.

“They played a good game, and with us not being able to score on a high level they really took advantage of that,” Stanley said. “I don’t think it was them. It was us being ourselves.”

The Mountaineers have a week off before traveling to Arkansas Little Rock on Jan. 25. 

“This has come at a great time for us. We’ve got a week off, and we’ve got some time to self-reflect,” Head coach Angel Elderkin said. “We’ve got to figure out in this offweek how we’re going to change the gap.”