Coastal Georgia withstood a furious second-half comeback by Keiser to secure a 95-90 home victory Friday afternoon, ending a five-game losing streak in front of 83 fans. The Mariners (11-17, 6-11) led by as many as 10 points in the first half and held off the Seahawks' relentless rally to claim a crucial conference win.
Derrick "Mannie" Harris was clutch down the stretch, converting 8-of-12 free throws including several critical makes in the final minutes to seal the victory. Harris finished with 14 points on 2-of-8 shooting from the field but made his presence felt at the line when it mattered most. His steady hand at the free-throw line in the closing seconds helped preserve the Mariners' five-point advantage.
Aamir Mack led Coastal Georgia with 16 points on an efficient 6-of-12 shooting performance, adding three rebounds in 23 minutes. Mack was aggressive attacking the basket throughout the contest and converted 4-of-5 free throws while providing consistent scoring in key moments.
Isaiah Edden chipped in 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including 2-of-4 from three-point range, while dishing out five assists and grabbing three steals in an excellent all-around performance. Preston Crisp added 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting, hitting 2-of-4 from beyond the arc, while Braden Wood contributed 10 points and four rebounds before fouling out.
Jeremiah Camara provided crucial energy off the bench with 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting in just 16 minutes, while Alexandre Zambonetti added eight points and Khylan McKennie scored seven. The bench combined for 33 points, providing essential depth as the Mariners battled through foul trouble and Keiser's second-half surge.
Coastal Georgia shot 51.6 percent from the field (32-of-62) and converted 23-of-32 free throws (71.9 percent), with particularly strong shooting in the second half when they hit 54.5 percent from the floor. The Mariners connected on 8-of-20 three-pointers (40.0 percent) and dominated the paint with 40 points.
The Mariners came out firing in the first half, jumping out to an early lead behind balanced scoring and strong defense. After falling behind 6-0 in the opening minutes, Coastal Georgia responded with an 11-1 run to take an 11-9 lead. Mack was instrumental in the rally, scoring on consecutive layups and converting a three-point play.
Wood's three-pointer tied the game at 8-9, and after Camara's dunk, the Mariners took control. Burns hit a crucial three-pointer to extend the lead to 19-14, and Mack continued his hot start with another layup and free throw to make it 22-16. The lead grew to 10 points at 39-29 when Mack scored on a putback layup with 1:05 remaining in the half.
Coastal Georgia took a 41-33 advantage into halftime after shooting 48.3 percent from the field and holding Keiser to just 36.4 percent shooting. The Mariners controlled the glass with 14 rebounds and limited the Seahawks' second-chance opportunities.
The second half turned into a back-and-forth battle as Keiser caught fire from three-point range. Nadir Myers, who torched the Mariners for a game-high 35 points on 13-of-30 shooting, led the Seahawks' charge. Myers connected on 7-of-17 three-pointers and scored 21 of his points in the second half, single-handedly keeping Keiser within striking distance.
Jackson Slater added 15 points on perfect 4-of-4 shooting, including 3-of-3 from beyond the arc, while Loghan Downie and Camerin James each contributed 14 points. The Seahawks (23-4, 13-3) shot 48.6 percent in the second half and connected on 8-of-20 three-pointers to fuel their comeback.
Keiser took its first lead of the second half at 49-47 on a three-pointer by Slater with 16:39 remaining, capping a 16-8 run. The Seahawks extended the lead to 64-54 on a free throw by James at 13:36, putting Coastal Georgia in serious jeopardy of another heartbreaking loss.
But the Mariners refused to fold on their home court. Zambonetti's layup sparked a 13-0 run that saw Coastal Georgia retake the lead at 65-64. McKennie scored on consecutive layups, and after a Slater free throw tied it at 65-65, the Mariners seized control. Zambonetti hit two more free throws to give Coastal Georgia a 69-67 lead, and McArthur followed with two free throws of his own to extend it to 71-69.
The teams traded leads five times over the next three minutes in a thrilling display. After Myers gave Keiser a 72-71 lead with his seventh three-pointer, Crisp answered with a three of his own to put the Mariners ahead 74-72. Edden followed with another three-pointer to make it 77-72, but Myers responded immediately with a layup to cut it to 77-74.
Shea's three-pointer tied the game at 77-77 with 6:33 remaining, but Harris hit a crucial three-pointer to give Coastal Georgia an 80-77 advantage. Mack's layup extended the lead to 82-77, and the Mariners never trailed again. Camara scored on back-to-back layups to push the lead to 86-82, and after James cut it to 86-84 with free throws, Crisp's jumper made it 88-84.
Myers refused to let Keiser go quietly, hitting his ninth three-pointer to cut the deficit to 88-87 with 2:08 remaining. Harris calmly converted two free throws to extend the lead to 90-87, and after Myers hit yet another three to make it 91-90, McArthur's layup with 47 seconds left gave the Mariners breathing room at 93-90.
Harris sealed the victory by converting three of his final four free-throw attempts in the closing seconds, and Keiser's desperation three-pointers in the final 30 seconds all missed the mark.
