Charleston Southern University Athletics
3-1
Bluefield Col.
3-3
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluefield College | 21 | 22 | 43 |
| CHARLESTON SOUTHERN | 45 | 36 | 81 |
11/22/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
CHARLESTON, S.C. - The CSU women's basketball team got 24 points from key reserves and overcame early struggles to down the Bluefield College Ramblin' Rams 81-43 on Tuesday evening at Buccaneer Field House in Charleston.
After falling behind early, the Bucs shot 53 percent from the field in the first half and finished the night with three players scoring in double digits to improve to 4-0 in the Buc Dome. Lakeitha Alston led all players in scoring with 18 points, going 8-of-14 from the field. Erin Bratcher went 4-for-7 from beyond the arc for 12 points while Shay Jones was a perfect 6-for-6 from the field and added another at the free-throw line for 13 points on the night. Anicia Dotson led the rebounding effort with nine boards, while Shambreka Jones put up the team's two blocks. The Bucs, who out-rebounded the Rams 39-31, shot 46 percent from the field and 73 percent from beyond the arc. The CSU bench outscored the Rams' reserves 24-9 and the Bucs were also able to add in 10 points off of BC turnovers as well.
Teqa McNeal led the Rams with nine points, while DeArra Darling and Kia Gillard added seven as the Bucs prevented any of the BC players from scoring in double digits. McNeal also added in three assists for the Rams, who shot 30.6 percent from the field and 68.8 percent at the free-throw line.
The Rams jumped out to a quick seven point lead just four minutes before a bucket from Alston and two free-throws by Terry cut the CSU deficit to just three at 7-4. A shot by Alston from beyond the arc made it 9-7 still in favor of the Rams, but a 17-5 scoring run by the Bucs soon put them ahead 26-14. Alston put up four more points in the paint and Coward nailed a three to keep the Bucs in front 34-19 with just under five minutes to go.
A trip by Dotson to the free-throw line added two more to the score for the Bucs and was sandwiched by three pointers from Rachelle Coward and Jones, keeping the Bucs ahead 39-13 with just over three to go. Jones closed out the final two minutes of the half with a solo six-point run, four of which came off of turnovers to give CSU the 45-21 at halftime.
Alston started the second half off by sinking a three and Coward added two in the paint as the Bucs held the Rams without a field goal in the first four and a half minutes of action. Erin Bratcher hit her third trey of the night with 13:28 to go to push the Buccaneers ahead 56-25. The three-pointers kept coming for the Bucs, as Rutledge knocked one down less than a minute later to put the score at 59-27. Eight straight points from Shambreka Jones put the lead at 38 before two in the paint from Shay Jones brought it to 69-29 with just under nine minutes to play.
Darling put up five for the Rams and McNeal added two from the field and two from the charity stripe but it was nowhere close to cutting into the 34-point CSU lead. Whitney Collins made two separate trips to the free-throw line and came away a perfect 4-for-4 before Kirklin Kirkpatrick sunk a late 3-pointer to assure the Buccaneers the 81-43 win.
After a short holiday break, the Bucs will be back in action on
November 26 when they take on S.C. State in Orangeburg, S.C.
Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.
