In the first round of The Basketball Classic, Coastal Carolina men’s basketball won in convincing fashion against the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.  

The first half of the contest was a back-and-forth affair with defense being the strongest factor for both teams. UMES threw multiple defensive strategies at the Chanticleers which included a full-court press, full-court trap and zone defense. Despite this, the Chants were able to go on a small run to end the first half with Ebrima Dibba making a layup as time expired to take a 27-20 lead going into halftime.  

Rudi Williams started the second half on a personal 9-0 run to extend Coastal’s lead. Williams shot an efficient 50% from the field for the game, including three 3-pointers, and finished with 18 points, four assists, and four rebounds to be named the game’s MVP. The Chanticleers didn’t look back and continued to dominate the game after Williams’ run.  

Ebrima Dibba got the crowd going with 12:35 left in the game after he threw a no-look pass to Vince Cole who finished with a dunk. Dibba capped off the game with a layup of 10 seconds left to give the Chant’s their biggest lead and end the game with a final score of 66-42. 

Coastal’s defense, led by Wilfried Likayi, frustrated UMES the whole game. The Hawks shot an underwhelming 26.7% from the field in part due to Likayi’s shot-blocking ability and presence in the paint. Likayi finished the game with four blocks and one steal. Vince Cole also contributed to the win at both ends and finished the game with 15 points, four rebounds, and two steals. 

The team will move onto the second round of The Basketball Classic and take on the winner between Eastern Washington and Fresno State.