Runnin' Rush; Well-timed burst lifts CSU over SCSU, 87-71

CHARLESTON, S.C. – LeChell Rush recorded a career-high 15 points and scored eight-straight midway through the second half to lead the Charleston Southern women’s basketball team to an 87-71 victory over South Carolina State University Saturday afternoon at CSU Field House.

CSU constructed a 57-47 advantage with a little more than 11 minutes remaining in the game. Rush’s explosion gave the Buccaneers a 65-50 lead, and the home team never looked back.

The Buccaneers improved to 3-2 on the young season, and have the best record through five games since the 2002-03 season. The Lady Bulldogs dropped to 2-3 this year.

Rush finished with a career-high seven made field goals, and went 7-of-8 from the field in her second-straight start and third of the season.

Katie Tull and Helen Terry both shot 50 percent from the field to add 17 and 13 points, respectively. Tull finished 6-of-12 from the field and 4-for-8 from behind the arc, and Terry shot 5-of-10 and went 3-for-6 from the three-point line.

Tina DeCarvalho came off the bench and had her best game of the 2009-10 season. She went 5-for-7 from the field, scoring 12 points. Lakeitha Alston went 3-for-3 from both the field and the free-throw line, and made her first-collegiate three-point basket to add 10 points and a CSU-high eight rebounds.

Sophilia Hipps made all five three-point shots for SCSU, finishing 9-of-15 from the field and 5-of-7 from behind the three-point line to lead all scorers with 23 points. She also recorded a game-high three steals. Paris Alston had a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds, and Joi Walker added 11 points for the Lady Bulldogs.

Charleston Southern jumped out to a quick 6-0 advantage and never trailed in the game. The blue and gold led by that same margin, 32-26, with five minutes to play in the opening half. Terry drained a three that sparked an 11-6 run to give CSU a 43-32 lead at the half.

The margin was virtually the same until Rush’s run that led to the final score of 87-71.

CSU shot 50 percent (13-for-26) from three-point land as a team, and shot 59 percent (34-for-58) from the field. SCSU struggled from behind the arc, finishing 5-for-13, with Hipps making the only three’s for the Lady Bulldogs.

Charleston Southern gets right back to action with easily its toughest test of the season to date. The Buccaneers travel to Chapel Hill, N.C., Nov. 29 for a 12:30 p.m. matchup with the No. 5-ranked University of North Carolina Tar Heels.