SELMA, Ala. - Coastal Alabama - North Men's Basketball began conference play with a strong road performance on Monday night, Nov. 24, defeating Wallace Community College - Selma (Ala.) 62-56 in central Alabama. The Yotes relied on a big first half and nine threes in the ACCC opener, improving the overall record to 5-5 on the season and starting the conference portion of the ACCC D-II Men's Basketball schedule at 1-0. 

The Highlights

The Coyotes set the tone early, outscoring Wallace - Selma 40-26 in the first half alone. In ths second half, Coastal - North was held to just 22 points, but managed to survive a late surge by the Patriots to secure the first ACCC win of the season.

Chimeziri Okeoma led the way offensively, finishing with 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including three makes from beyond the arc. Eli Pippins added nine points and distributed nine assists to flirt with a double-double, helping guide a Coastal - North offense that shared the ball effectively with 13 total assists in the game. Pippins added four rebounds and three steals in the win.

Bryce Wilkins provided another strong two-way effort, scoring eight points while pulling down a team-best 10 rebounds. Justin Burns helped anchor the interior with seven points and eight boards, and Bryson Holmes contributed nine points and eight rebounds as the Coyotes dominated the glass throughout the night. Off the bench, Al'Terrius Beasley supplied valuable minutes with four points and five rebounds, while Xzavier Brooks and David Culbreath-Martin knocked down three-pointers to add to the team's nine total makes from deep.

Coastal Alabama - North shot 37.5% overall from the floor and 45% from three-point range, while making 13-of-20 free throws. The Yotes limited turnovers to keep Wallace - Selma from gaining any momentum on its home floor. The Patriots' second-half push cut into the lead, but the Coyotes' first-half cushion proved more than enough to seal the conference-opening road victory.

Conference Play Continues

Coastal - North returns home following Thanksgiving break to continue ACCC action at the Cooper Center in Monroeville, Ala. The Yotes will host Bevill State (Ala.) on Tuesday, Dec. 2 for the next game on the schedule, with that contest set to tip off at 7:30 p.m. CT.
 

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