CHARLESTON, S.C. - It took overtime for Charleston Southern Women's Basketball to end a 13 game winless streak against the visiting Furman Paladins in a thrilling 80-78 win for the 2011-2012 home opener at the CSU Field House at Charleston Southern here in Charleston, S.C.

Coming into the match-up in pregame warm-ups Coach Julie Goodenough stressed one fact. "No team comes into our house and beat us." Very direct message from Goodenough as her Buccaneers suited up to take on visiting in state rival and SoCon opponent Furman. In 2010, the Paladins got a little luck on their side as a charge was called on Lakeitha Alston which led to the eventual free throw that won the game for the Paladins. The 2011 affair had different thoughts for Alston. Alston who is a leader for CSU dropped 19 points with two of those points coming as the game winning basket with .03 seconds left on the clock in overtime.

The first half was a back and forth battle as both teams through great punches in this prize fight of a game. With 12 lead changes both teams and fans alike were in for a great contest. A major factor that kept Charleston Southern in the game was the point off of turnovers creating 14 points in the first half off of 17 turnovers. Even though some Buccaneers got into early foul trouble the depth in which Goodenough has on her bench aided the Buccaneers in the first half. Trailing at the half by a point, Goodenough's ball club looked to be the better team but could not convert some easy chances and her halftime talk worked out.

The second half started as the first half ended as both teams through heavy punches to knock the other team out. Furman lead 67-58 with 4:16 in the second half as Coach Goodenough was awarded a vital media timeout. Goodenough rallied her troops and prepared them for a final push to get themselves back into the game. "Coach Goodenough looked at each of us and said we are not losing this game," as Alston spoke of that pivotal changing point in the game. After the media timeout CSU came out with a renewed swagger and huge defensive stance. Shay Jones found herself at the line twice after driving to the basket hard and drawing fouls cutting the lead 67-62 with 3:20 on the clock. Erin Bratcher, who added 6 points for CSU, came up with a crucial turnover which led to a Rachelle Coward layup. Coward's layup was two of her team high 22 points. With Coward's basket, CSU cut the Paladin lead into a one possession game. Only a few ticks on the clock remained as Furman tried to seal the win. A missed free throw by Furman's Teshia Griswold saw CSU grab a rebound from Bratcher with 14 seconds left. Helen Terry brought the ball up the court and found a wide open Coward who drained a 3 pointer with three seconds left to knot the score at 71 apiece. On the inbounds play Furman could not get a shot off and overtime basketball awaited.

In the overtime period Furman jumped out to a 74-71 lead but CSU quickly fought back as a Rachelle Coward 3-pointer with 1:44 left in O.T. saw CSU take their first lead of the extra session of basketball, 78-76. A jumper by Furman's Griswold tied the score back at 78-78 with only 12 seconds left in the 1st overtime. As yet again Helen Terry brought the ball up court this time Terry called her own number. With a hard drive to the rim Terry laid up her shot but it rebounded into the hands of Lakeitha Alston who made her put back to give the Buccaneers the lead. As Furman scrambled to get the ball in bounds they found Reagan Thompson in the corner for a 3-point attempt which she made but only after the buzzer had sounded for the game to conclude. The referee looked at the replay to double check and seconds later it was confirmed that Thompson's shot was after the buzzer and gave Coach Julie Goodenough and her Buccaneer ball club an enormous 1st win of the season.

"I am very pleased with our girls. I told them about the stat of how we have not beaten Furman and 13 games and I told them that it ended tonight. WE were not going to let them come in our house and beat us. Hats off to Furman, they are a great basketball team but I am so proud of our girls. We created turnovers and we stayed in the game the entire time," spoke Goodenough about her win. Lakeitha Alston chimed in about her game winner, "I honestly had no idea what happened. It fell in my hands and I knew I had to get it up and towards the rim and I did. I am glad we did this for our team. We deserved this win." Alston and Rachelle Coward lead the Buccaneers with 19 and 22 points respectively. Coward's clutch three at the end of regulation to force overtime was very pivotal in the home opener. "I was ready to shoot. I did this for our team. Being a redshirt it feels like I haven't played in awhile and I was just ready to go. I am proud of our fight and of our team," spoke Coward.

With an enormous amount of emotion off of this first home win and snapping the Furman winning streak against CSU, the Buccaneers look to roll into tomorrow night's 7 p.m. game against Southern Wesleyan with a lot of good points and continue their winning ways.