Coastal Georgia built a commanding halftime lead and held off a spirited second-half rally by St. Thomas Saturday afternoon in Brunswick, surviving an 85-81 decision to improve to 10-13 overall and 4-7 in conference play.
The Mariners controlled the game from the opening tip, never trailing at any point in the contest. Coastal Georgia jumped out to an early 7-0 lead and never looked back, steadily building their advantage throughout the first half before stretching it to as many as 22 points in the second half.
Aamir Mack and Derrick "Mannie" Harris each led the way with 14 points. Mack was particularly effective in the paint, scoring on several layups and dunks while converting both of his free throw attempts. Harris provided crucial plays at both ends of the floor, including a three-pointer right before halftime and clutch free throws down the stretch to help ice the victory.
Braden Wood added 11 points and seven rebounds while playing a key role defensively, recording two steals. Preston Crisp contributed 10 points, including two big three-pointers, and dished out three assists to keep the offense moving. Thaddeus Burns chipped in eight points and two steals in 23 minutes.
The Mariners' bench was outstanding, combining for 28 points. Khylan McKennie came off the bench and scored 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting in 14 minutes, providing an immediate spark. Jeremiah Camara added nine points, punctuating his performance with two thunderous dunks that had the Brunswick crowd buzzing. Kaden McArthur contributed four points and three assists in a well-rounded performance off the bench.
Coastal Georgia's interior dominance told the story of the game, as the Mariners scored 46 points in the paint compared to St. Thomas's 38. The team also won the turnover battle convincingly, committing just four turnovers to St. Thomas's 14, using their ball security to maintain possession and keep the pressure on throughout.
St. Thomas made a valiant push in the second half, led by Adrian Cruz, who finished with 29 points on 10-of-20 shooting. Cruz hit five three-pointers and showed remarkable fire in the closing minutes, including a steal that briefly gave his team momentum. But the Pioneers could never chip away enough of the deficit to truly threaten, as their first-half struggles left them in too deep a hole.
Noah Tovar scored 14 points for St. Thomas, all coming in the second half when the Pioneers showed much better offensive rhythm, shooting 60.7 percent from the field after going just 44.8 percent in the first half. Kaleb Myers added 12 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in a physically demanding effort.
The game's decisive stretch came in the middle of the second half, when the Mariners went on a run that pushed the lead to 22 points. Isaiah Edden sparked the surge with a three-pointer and an assist on a McArthur layup, while Zambonetti added a layup to keep the pressure on. By the time St. Thomas made their late charge, the Mariners had built too much of a cushion to overcome.
Coastal Georgia converted 13-of-16 free throws for 81.3 percent, a sign of composure under pressure that proved invaluable when St. Thomas began their late rally. Harris sealed things in the final seconds with two free throws after a Crisp steal, and the Mariners ran out the clock to complete a satisfying home victory.
