BOAZ, Ala. - The Coastal Alabama - North Men's Basketball team, led by fifth-year head coach Chuck Taylor, earned the first win of the 2025-26 campaign over the weekend, edging past Florida Gateway College on Saturday, Nov. 1 83-80 in a neutral-site contest at the Snead State Classic. The win comes one day after the Coyotes opened the season with a loss to No. 5 Davidson-Davie Community College (N.C.) on Oct. 31.
Coastal Alabama - North opens the 2025-26 campaign receiving votes for entry in the NJCAA D-II Men's Basketball Top 25.
Snead Classic Highlights
In the loss to the fifth-ranked team in the country, the Coyotes were outscored 40-26 in the first half before Davidson-Davie produced a 34-32 advantage in the second half. Coastal - North eventually fell 74-58 to begin the season, shooting 39.5% from the floor and finishing 0-for-9 from three-point range.
Justin Burns led the Yotes with 14 points in the loss and added eight rebounds to flirt with a season-opening double-double. He was followed by Eli Pippins, who ended with 11 points and a team-best four steals. Monroeville, Ala. native Al'Terrius Beasley recorded seven points and two boards in the defeat.
The next day, the Coyotes jumped out to a 46-38 halftime lead over Florida Gateway behind efficient shooting and strong defense. In the second half, the Yotes held off a late rally from the Timberwolves to secure the victory, 83-80. Five players scored in double figures for Coastal - North, led by Eli Pippins with 15 points, six assists, and seven made free throws. Bryson Holmes added 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting with a pair of three-pointers and three blocks, while Justin Burns and Bryce Wilkins each contributed 12 points and seven and five rebounds, respectively. Chimeziri Okeoma and David Culbreath-Martin each provided 10 points, with Culbreath adding five assists and going 8-for-9 from the foul line.
Coastal - North shot an efficient 48.1% from the field, including 38.5% from beyond the arc, and converted 72.2% at the free-throw line (26-for-36). The Coyotes also tallied 16 assists and 32 total rebounds, highlighted by nine on the offensive glass. The win was a nice bounce back for the Coyotes.
Headed to Mobile
Coastal - North now makes its way to Mobile, Ala. for a non-conference meeting with Bishop State (Ala.) on Tuesday night, Nov. 4. Tip-off against the Bishop State Wildcats is set for 7:00 p.m. CT and is the first of back-to-back meetings between the two programs. Coastal Alabama - North hosts Bishop State in the home opener in Monroeville, Ala. next Monday, Nov. 10.
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