CONWAY, S.C. (Interstat) — Kinsea Grimes scored 19 points and Coastal Carolina overcame a sluggish start to defeat UNC Greensboro 67-61 in a nonconference women’s basketball game Wednesday night at the HTC Center.

The Chanticleers, who trailed by as many as 11 points in the first half, used a decisive third-quarter surge to seize control and held off a late Spartans rally to improve to 6-5 overall. UNC Greensboro fell to 5-5.

The most critical phase of the game unfolded in the third quarter. After trailing 25-24 at halftime, Coastal Carolina erupted for 24 points in the period, outscoring the Spartans by five to take a 48-44 lead into the final frame. The Chanticleers’ offense, which managed just nine points in the opening quarter, found its rhythm behind Grimes and Kristin Williams, who orchestrated the attack with five assists.

UNC Greensboro had established early command with a 15-9 first quarter, fueled by defensive pressure that forced six Coastal Carolina turnovers. The Spartans extended their lead to 25-18 with 3:23 remaining in the second quarter following a driving layup by Makiah Asidanya. However, the Chanticleers closed the half on a 6-0 run, capped by a Paige Bradley layup with 55 seconds left, to trim the deficit to a single point and gather momentum for the second half.

The Spartans struggled offensively throughout, shooting just 22 of 58 from the field and a frigid 6 of 34 from three-point range. Their 83.4 offensive rating on 73 possessions underscored the difficulty in generating consistent scoring. Coastal Carolina was only marginally better from the floor, also making 22 field goals, but proved more efficient from beyond the arc (8 of 22) and at the free-throw line, converting 15 of 18 attempts.

Jeni Levine led UNC Greensboro with 18 points, while Leyla Minor added 10 points and three blocks. Tasia Johnson contributed eight points for the Spartans.

For Coastal Carolina, Grimes’ game-high 19 points came on 6-of-14 shooting, including three three-pointers, and a perfect 4-for-4 performance from the free-throw line. Williams filled the stat sheet with 10 points, five assists and three steals. Bradley also scored 10 points for the Chanticleers.

The game featured 18 lead changes and was tied on 10 occasions, reflecting the tight nature of the contest until the final minutes. With Coastal Carolina leading 63-61 in the closing seconds, UNC Greensboro had a chance to tie or take the lead, but a missed three-pointer by Levine with five seconds left was rebounded by Williams, who was fouled and sealed the victory with two free throws.

Both teams finished with eight assists and eight steals. UNC Greensboro held a slight edge in blocks, 6-2, but committed 16 turnovers to Coastal Carolina’s 18. The Chanticleers won the rebounding battle 38-34, including nine offensive boards.

The announced attendance at the HTC Center was 589.

According to Interstat’s ELO system, UNC Greensboro entered the game with a 52% probability of winning.

UNC Greensboro will host Bob Jones on Saturday. Coastal Carolina’s next game is at home against James Madison next Wednesday.