CONWAY, S.C. (Interstat) — In a game defined by a dominant interior presence and a furious second-half rally that fell just short, Coastal Carolina held off Marshall 79-75 in a Sun Belt Conference men’s basketball game Saturday at HTC Center.

The Chanticleers, led by a monumental performance from center Nadjrick Peat, built a 12-point halftime lead and withstood a 39-point explosion from Marshall’s Jalen Speer in the second half to secure the victory in front of 2,140 fans.

The most critical phase of the game came in the final three minutes, as Marshall, which trailed by as many as 15 points in the second half, clawed to within a single possession. Speer’s driving layup with 20 seconds remaining cut the Coastal Carolina lead to 78-75. After a timeout, the Thundering Herd immediately fouled Coastal Carolina’s Joshua Beadle, who made the first of two free throws to extend the lead to four with seven seconds left. He missed the second, but Marshall’s desperation three-point attempt by Wilson Dubinsky as time expired was off the mark, sealing the win for the home team.

The foundation for Coastal Carolina’s victory was laid in the first half and reinforced by its defense at the rim. The Chanticleers blocked 10 shots, with Peat, a 6-foot-10 junior from Alexandria, Jamaica, swatting seven by himself. He also recorded a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds, controlling the paint on both ends.

His presence forced Marshall into a 27-for-71 shooting performance overall. While the Thundering Herd scored 51 second-half points, they struggled to finish consistently inside against Peat’s length.

Coastal Carolina guard RaSheed Jones, the team’s top star, led all scorers with 29 points, including four three-pointers. He was instrumental in building the first-half advantage, scoring 14 before the break. Beadle added 18 points and six rebounds for the Chanticleers.

Marshall’s comeback attempt was almost single-handedly engineered by Speer. After being held to just seven points in the first half, he erupted for 32 in the second, finishing with 39 points on 12-of-26 shooting. He was particularly effective getting to the free-throw line, making 12 of 14 attempts. Noah Otshudi provided strong support with 18 points for the Thundering Herd.

Despite shooting a lower percentage from the field, Coastal Carolina won the game at the free-throw line, making 24 of 34 attempts compared to Marshall’s 16 of 18. The Chanticleers also capitalized on their possessions more efficiently, posting an offensive rating of 102.4 points per 100 possessions against Marshall’s 94.3.

Marshall won several hustle categories, scoring 19 points off 13 Coastal Carolina turnovers, posting a 16-9 advantage in fastbreak points, and outscoring the Chanticleers 32-24 in the paint. But they could not overcome the early deficit or solve Peat’s rim protection when it mattered most.

The game was a reversal of the teams’ first meeting on Jan. 14, which Coastal Carolina also won by two points, 85-83.

With the win, Coastal Carolina improves to 17-12 overall. Marshall falls to 18-11. Both teams continue Sun Belt play on Tuesday, with Coastal Carolina traveling to face Georgia State and Marshall returning home to host Old Dominion.