Stingy defense and a 61-point first half paved the way for the College of Coastal Georgia Men's basketball team as the Mariners defeated visiting USC-Salkehatchie 98-81 on Tuesday in the Coffin Gymnasium. 
Sophomore point guard Antonio Tribble ( Newberry, S.C./Newberry) poured in 31 points and dished out 12 assists to lead the Mariners, who earned their fourth consecutive win and improved to 4-7 on the season.
Besides Tribble, four other players scored in double figures. Freshman forward Kevin Bradshaw ( Rembert, S.C./Crestwood ) contributed 14 points and freshman guard Tray Pearce ( Ashburn, Ga./Turner Co.) added 11, while sophomore forward Johathan Brooks (Macon, Ga./Rutland) and freshman forward Kentory Johnson ( Sandersville, Ga./Washington Co.) scored 10 points apiece.
“We created a lot of turnovers and scored a lot of easy buckets,” Coastal head coach Gerald Cox said after the win. “When you open up the offense like we tried to, you're going to get a lot of chances for guys to go to the basket. And we were finishing at the rim, particularly in the first half.”
From the opening tip, the Mariners used their up-tempo pressure defense to thwart many of USC-Salkehatchie's offensive possessions and tallied 41 defensive stops in the game.
Cox said the first half of Tuesday's game was the best half his Mariners had played all season because of the players' effort on the defensive end of the floor. Coastal held the Indians to just 38.7 percent shooting from the floor in the first half and 46 percent for the game.
“We played team defense, not just individual defense,” Cox said “We were running and jumping and when one guy had to gamble we getting coverage there.
“And when another pass was made it wasn't just one effort – a one-an-done,” the coach continued. “We were constantly moving and covering the rotation. That's the kind of defense we want to see all the time for 40 minutes.”
Coastal's swarming defense created 15 steals, which led directly to offensive production throughout the game. The Mariners shot nearly 67 percent from the field in the first half and 54 percent for the game.
“We really kept up the intensity,” said freshman forward Eric Martin ( Lilly, Ga./Dooly Co.) , who came off the bench to score six points, including a vicious second-half dunk. “Coach always tells us to give it all we've got and never give up on defense.”
Despite being outscored 47-37 in the second half, the Mariners held on for the win, which secured a 2-0 sweep of the non-conference season series against the Indians.
On Saturday, Dec. 5 the Mariners host Florida State College, formerly FCCJ, at 7:30 p.m. in the Coffin Gymnasium. General admission is $5, but is free for students and staff with a valid CCGA ID and children 12 and under.