NCAA News Wire
Virginia 70, Coastal Carolina 59
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
RALEIGH, N.C. — Reserves Anthony Gill and Evan Nolte combined for 18 second-half points off the bench and top-seeded Virginia avoided a piece of history it wanted no part of, overcoming 16th-seeded Coastal Carolina 70-59 in an NCAA Tournament East Regional second-round game on Friday night at PNC Arena.
Gill finished with 17 points and Nolte provided all eight of his points in a key second-half stretch.
Virginia (29-6) meets eighth-seeded Memphis (24-9), which eliminated George Washington earlier, in Sunday’s third round.
Guard Malcolm Brogdon had 14 points, guard London Perrantes added 12 points and guard Joe Harris supplied 11 points for Virginia, which trailed by 10 points late in the first half.
A No. 16 seed has never defeated a No. 1 seed in the tournament’s history.
Forward Badou Diagne scored 14 points and guard Warren Gillis tallied 13 points for Coastal Carolina (21-13).
Virginia, which is the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season and tournament champion, was rescued in part by Nolte, a sophomore forward.
Coastal Carolina tied the game at 47-all on guard Elijah Wilson’s 3 with 8:50 remaining. Virginia scored the next six points.
Perrantes made three free throws after he was fouled on a 3-point attempt before the seldom-used Nolte drained a 3-pointer from the corner for a 53-47 edge.
Nolte struck again from beyond the arc, sending the Cavaliers to a 56-48 lead. It was his first game with more than one 3-pointer since Jan. 4 at Florida State.
Nolte hit another jumper during a surge and suddenly, with five minutes remaining, Virginia held a 60-50 lead.
Virginia began the second half on a 9-2 burst, aided by Brogdon’s five points during the stretch. Harris hit a 3-pointer and the Cavaliers were up 42-38 before Coastal Carolina regrouped.
Coastal Carolina led 35-30 at halftime, buoyed by shooting 52 percent (13-for-25) from the field and a 16-11 advantage in rebounding.
Coastal Carolina opened a 31-21 lead with four minutes left in the first half. A 6-0 run near the end of the half helped Virginia get some traction.
The Chanticleers suffered a blow when Gillis picked up his third foul with 1:14 to play in the half.
Coastal Carolina, which is located in Conway, S.C., landed in the tournament field by winning the Big South Conference tournament.
NOTES: Virginia was awarded a No. 1 regional seed for the fourth time, but for the first time since 1983. … Coastal Carolina coach Cliff Ellis is the 10th coach in Division I history to lead four different programs to the NCAA Tournament, also directing South Alabama, Clemson and Auburn. … This was the third meeting between Virginia and Coastal Carolina, with the Cavaliers winning all three matchups (the last meeting prior to Friday was on Dec. 22, 2003).
