CBI 2017: Semifinals Scores, Updated Bracket and Finals Schedule

The 2017 College Basketball Invitational semifinals got underway Wednesday as a pair of squads sought to book spots in the title series that will get underway next week.The evening's first showdown featured the Illinois-Chicago Flames against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, while the second half of the doubleheader pitted the Wyoming Cowboys against the Utah Valley Wolverines.Here's a look at Wednesday's semifinals scores, with recaps for each game available below:As far as the championship series is concerned, the two finalists will meet in a best-of-three setting to determine the winner. According to the tournament's official website, championship play will begin on Monday, March 27.Updated bracket in above link.Coastal Carolina 89, Illinois-Chicago 78The Chanticleers booked their spot in the CBI final thanks to the contributions of five double-figure scorers who helped overwhelm a Flames defense that ranked 221st overall in KenPom.com's adjusted efficiency rankings.Jaylen Shaw starred for Coastal Carolina with a team-high 22 points, and forward Demario Beck came up large to the tune of 18 points and 10 rebounds.Guard Elijah Wilson also chimed in with 16 points as the Chanticleers shot 43.8 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from three.The Flames, meanwhile, received a game-high 27 points from Tarkus Ferguson, but he committed seven turnovers as UIC struggled with ball control all game long.In addition to turnover woes, the Chanticleers out-rebounded the Flames 41-29, including 16-9 on the offensive glass.Wyoming 74, Utah Valley 68The Wolverines mounted a fierce second-half charge after falling behind by six at the break, but they couldn't come up with clutch buckets in the games waning minutes to pull ahead of the Cowboys by the final buzzer.While it was hardly a banner night for Wyoming's offense as the Cowboys shot 45.6 percent from the field and 3-of-15 from three,Justin James helped pace Allen Edwards' side with 16 points and five boards.James was particularly effective when it came to getting to the free-throw line. The sophomore guard drilled 8-of-10 attempts from the charity stripe, and that tally was matched by teammate Louis Adamswho finished with 12 points overall.And while the Wolverines outscored the Cowboys 18-9 from beyond the arc, they shot a paltry 36.7 percent from the field overall in an inefficient performance.But considering Utah Valley finished the year ranked 234th in KenPom's adjusted offensive efficiency, those figures didn't come as much of a shock.
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