ORANGEBURG, S.C. - Despite three starters scoring in double digits, the Charleston Southern women's basketball team couldn't quite erase a late 12-point deficit and dropped a close 68-65 contest to the S.C. State Lady Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon in Orangeburg, S.C.

Rachelle Coward put up 19 points, including a 3-point shot with 20 seconds remaining in the game to cut the Bulldogs' lead from six to three. Helen Terry added in 16 points, while Lakeitha Alston put up 10 to score in double digits for the sixth straight game. The Lady Bulldogs' Tiara Knotts led all players in scoring with 28 points, while Paris Alston added in 10 as S.C. State outshot CSU 57.1 percent to 40.3 percent. The Lady Bulldogs also out-rebounded the Bucs 37-30. A strong Bulldog defense stymied the Bucs' 3-point game, allowing CSU just buckets from beyond the arc.

Though S.C. State struck first, the Bucs would quickly tie things up 4-4 on a free-throw by Coward just over two minutes into the contest. Two in the paint by Cabriel Duren put SCSU up by five, but the Bucs would again come back to even the score at 14-14 on a 3-pointer by Kiki Rutledge. Another shot from downtown, this time from Terry, put the Bucs ahead by three, while a layup by Anicia Dotson would keep CSU ahead by three 12 and a half minutes to go in the first half.

Neither team scored for the next two minutes before a steal by Abby Wharton resulted in a trey from Erin Bratcher to stretch the CSU lead to five. However, four consecutive points by Knotts tied things up at 23-23. The two teams traded buckets - and the lead- for the rest of the half with a 3-pointer from Knotts giving SCSU the 35-32 lead at halftime.

A trey from Knotts put the Bulldogs up by six to start the half, but the Bucs were able to whittle it down to just two on a layup by Alston three minutes into the half. The Bulldogs put up four from the field and two at the line to take an eight point lead, but CSU was again able to pull within three with a bucket in the paint from Bratcher. With just under eight to go, a 12-3 scoring run but S.C. State up by 12. A steal by Terry turned into a fast break layup by Dotson, breaking the double digit lead as the Bucs came within eight. Coward added two more in the paint to bring it down to six at 62-56 with 4:56 to go. Coward and Alston kept up the points in the paint, keeping the CSU deficit at just six. Coward then put up a trey with 20 seconds to go, bringing the Bucs within three. However, a last-second effort from Rutledge couldn't go in as the Buccaneers dropped the 68-65 heartbreaker.

Charleston Southern will return to Charleston but will travel across town to face cross-town rival the College of Charleston on Wednesday. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at TD Arena in downtown Charleston.

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