BOAZ, Ala. - No. 14 Coastal Alabama - North Men's Basketball opened the 2026-27 season Friday night, Oct. 30 with a 74-58 loss to No. 6 Davidson-Davie Community College (N.C.) in Boaz, Ala.
The Coyotes, led by sixth-year head coach Chuck Taylor, the reigning two-time ACCC Division II Men's Basketball Coach of the Year, battled Davidson-Davie through a competitive first half. Coastal - North entered the break tied at 32-32 before Davidson-Davie pulled away in the second half, outscoring the Coyotes 42-26 to secure the 16-point victory.
Freshman Ethan Wyatt led Coastal - North with 16 points in his first game as a Coyote, shooting 6-of-16 from the field and knocking down three three-pointers. Meanwhile, sophomore transfer King Larkin added 12 points, including three makes from beyond the arc, and fellow sophomore transfer Brennan Webb finished with 11 points and three three-pointers of his own.
Second-year Coyote Bryce Wilkins contributed six points and a team-high nine rebounds, including four offensive boards. Freshman point guard Trey Smith III also scored six points while leading the Coyotes with five assists and recording two steals. Freshman Cassidie Patterson added three points, three rebounds, one block and one steal.
Coastal Alabama - North shot 40.7% from the field (22-of-54) and 37.5% from three-point range (9-of-24), while converting five of eight attempts at the free-throw line. The Coyotes finished with 28 rebounds, 11 assists, eight steals and four blocks, but 18 turnovers proved costly against a Davidson-Davie squad that recorded 11 steals.
The sixth-ranked Storm of Davidson-Davie shot 55.8% from the field (29-of-52), including 42.9% from three-point range (6-of-14), and made 10 of 17 free throws. The Storm also held a slight 30-28 advantage on the glass and recorded 18 assists.
The Coyotes will look to bounce back Saturday afternoon when they return to the court in Boaz to face (RV) Florida State College of Jacksonville at 3:00 p.m. CT
Coastal - North will then prepare for its home opener Tuesday, Nov. 3, against defending ACCC Division I champion Bishop State at the Cooper Center in Monroeville, Ala. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. CT as the program celebrates its 2025-26 championship season pregame at 6:30 p.m. CT.
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