Coastal Georgia suffered a gut-wrenching 71-70 defeat to Webber International on Wednesday evening, as Deon Brown's two free throws with 17 seconds remaining proved to be the difference in a back-and-forth conference battle that featured eight lead changes and seven ties.

The Mariners (11-16, 5-10) mounted a furious second-half comeback after trailing by as many as 11 points, only to see their efforts fall short when Isaiah Edden's potential game-winning layup was blocked by Thomas Morgan in the final seconds. The devastating loss dropped Coastal Georgia further back in the conference standings as the regular season winds down.

Jeremiah Camara led all scorers with 16 points on an efficient 7-of-12 shooting performance, including a perfect 2-for-2 mark in the second half when the Mariners needed him most. The junior forward was aggressive attacking the basket throughout the contest, though his struggles from the free-throw line (2-of-6) proved costly in a one-point game. Camara added four rebounds in 23 minutes of action.

Thaddeus Burns provided a spark with 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting, including a scorching 4-of-5 performance from three-point range. Burns was instrumental in keeping Coastal Georgia close during the first half and delivered clutch three-pointers down the stretch, including one that gave the Mariners a 67-64 lead with 2:49 remaining.

Preston Crisp came off the bench to score 14 points while hitting 4-of-8 from beyond the arc. Crisp's three-pointer with 7:12 remaining put Coastal Georgia ahead 56-54, and he assisted on Burns' critical three-pointer late in the game. Kaden McArthur added eight points and three rebounds in 19 minutes before fouling out, while Edden contributed seven points despite struggling from the field (1-of-6).

Coastal Georgia found itself in an early hole, trailing 32-28 at halftime after shooting just 34.4 percent from the field in the opening period. The Mariners connected on only 4-of-14 three-point attempts in the first half and were outrebounded 17-16, allowing Webber to build momentum heading into the locker room.

The deficit grew to 11 points early in the second half when Morgan converted a three-point play to make it 43-34 with 16:03 remaining. Webber extended the lead to 52-41 following Morgan's layup at the 12:11 mark, putting Coastal Georgia in a precarious position on the road.

But the Mariners refused to fold. Coastal Georgia caught fire from the field in the second half, shooting 53.8 percent and connecting on 5-of-11 three-pointers to fuel a remarkable comeback. Burns hit a three-pointer to cut the deficit to eight at 52-44, and Camara followed with a thunderous dunk to make it 46-52 with 11:10 left.

The comeback gained steam when Braden Wood converted a three-point play to pull Coastal Georgia within three at 49-52. Edden then hit two free throws to make it a one-point game at 51-52, setting up a tense final stretch. Camara's layup at 8:05 gave the Mariners their first lead of the second half at 53-52, igniting hopes of a road victory.

The teams traded leads five times over the final eight minutes in a thrilling display of back-and-forth basketball. Burns' three-pointer gave Coastal Georgia a 56-54 advantage, but Nirobi Peeler Jr. answered immediately with a three of his own to put Webber back ahead 57-56.

After Edden's three-pointer and subsequent free throws gave the Mariners a 62-59 lead, Brown tied the game at 62-62 with his own three-pointer. McArthur's jumper put Coastal Georgia back ahead 64-62, but Brown tied it again at 64-64 with a layup, setting up the dramatic final minutes.

Burns delivered what appeared to be the dagger with a three-pointer that gave the Mariners a 67-64 lead with 2:49 to play. But Webber wouldn't go away. Landon Tillman scored on a jumper to cut it to 67-66, and after the teams traded scores, Tillman tied the game at 69-69 with a layup with 1:01 remaining.

Camara converted one of two free throws with 49 seconds left to give Coastal Georgia a 70-69 lead, but his miss on the second attempt proved costly. After a Coastal Georgia timeout following a foul with 17 seconds left, Brown calmly sank both free throws to put Webber ahead 71-70.

Coastal Georgia had one final chance after calling its last timeout, but Edden's drive to the basket was swatted away by Morgan at the buzzer, sealing the heartbreaking defeat for the visitors.

For Webber International (10-17, 5-10), Brown finished with a team-high 19 points on 5-of-10 shooting, including 3-of-7 from three-point range. The senior guard was clutch down the stretch, hitting all six of his free throws. Morgan added 16 points and a game-high 12 rebounds in a dominant two-way performance, while Peeler Jr. chipped in 15 points on a perfect 5-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc. Tillman contributed 13 crucial points, including several key baskets in the final minutes.