Campbell women defeat Coastal Carolina in WNIT opener

Campbell University women's basketball team made a thrilling comeback to defeat Coastal Carolina 57-55 in the first round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). The game took place on Thursday night at the HTC Center. Campbell was down by as much as 11 points in the second half. However, they turned the game around in the fourth quarter, taking their first lead after a three-point shot from Courtney Dahlquist with just over five minutes left. Coastal Carolina briefly regained the lead but struggled to score as the game wound down. Gianni Boone hit a crucial three-pointer late in the game. With 46 seconds remaining, Gemma Nunez made two free throws, putting Campbell ahead by one point. Nunez also made a steal that led to another point from Hadleigh Dill, extending their lead to two. Coastal Carolina had a chance to tie the game at the end, but Alancia Ramsey’s shot missed. This victory marks the first WNIT win in Campbell's history and only their third overall postseason win. Dahlquist led the team with 12 points, all scored in the second half. Dill added 10 points, while Boone and Jasmine Felton contributed nine points each. Nunez set a new team record for assists this season and also led the team in rebounds. Coastal Carolina’s Savannah Brooks and Ramsey each scored 10 points. Campbell's strong defense limited Coastal to their second-lowest point total of the season. The Camels will now play Southern Indiana in the second round of the WNIT this Sunday at 7 p.m.