CONWAY, S.C. — Joshua Beadle delivered a career night Thursday, pouring in 32 points to lift Coastal Carolina to a dramatic 72–70 victory over Texas State at the HTC Center.
Beadle’s performance anchored the Chanticleers (12–9, 5–4 Sun Belt Conference), who extended their winning streak to four games and protected home court in a tightly contested conference battle. AJ Dancler chipped in 13 points, while Rasheed Jones finished with 11 points and six rebounds, including the game-winning free throws in the final seconds.
Coastal Carolina came out of halftime with renewed energy, building momentum and stretching its lead to 48–35 with 13:41 remaining in the second half, matching its largest advantage of the night. However, Texas State refused to fold, slowly chipping away over the final 10 minutes.
The Bobcats eventually grabbed their first lead of the second half at 66–65 with 2:26 to play and extended the margin to five points with just under 90 seconds remaining.
Facing a late deficit, the Chanticleers responded with poise. Beadle scored on a tough jumper in the paint to cut the lead to three, and after a crucial defensive stop, Jones calmly knocked down two free throws with 43 seconds left to make it a one-point game.
Texas State came up empty on its next possession, and Jones was fouled on a three-point attempt with 1.1 seconds remaining. The senior stepped to the line and sank all three free throws, completing a decisive 7–0 Coastal run to seal the victory.
“I told our guys that good teams find a way to win,” Coastal Carolina head coach Justin Gray said. “It’s hard to win in this league, and we’re really happy we were able to protect home court tonight. We won this game because of how we practiced the days before.”
Beadle finished 11-of-19 from the field and 10-of-12 at the free-throw line, adding seven rebounds to his stat line. Dancler shot 4-of-9 from the floor and 2-of-5 from beyond the arc, while Jones provided steady production down the stretch.
Texas State (11–10, 4–5 Sun Belt) was led by Mark Drone, who scored 24 points, and DJ Hall, who added 23 points and seven rebounds.
Coastal Carolina shot 41.5 percent from the hardwood and went 22-of-29 from the free-throw line. Texas State finished the night shooting 37.9 percent and went 19-of-21 at the stripe.
The Chanticleers will look to continue their strong play when they return to action Saturday, Jan. 24, hosting Southern Miss at the HTC Center. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m.
