Charleston Southern University Athletics
7-14, 2-10BSC
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UNC Asheville
2-21, 0-12BSC
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston Southern | 28 | 26 | 54 |
| UNC Asheville | 25 | 23 | 48 |
CSU holds off late Asheville run in 54-48 victory
2/7/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. - DJ Fowler scored 17 points and Lakeitha Alston recorded her third double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds as the Lady Bucs went up early and held off a late charge by UNC Asheville in closing out the 54-48 win and the season sweep over the Lady Bulldogs.
Charleston Southern (7-14, 2-10 Big South) went on a 12-0 run early in the first half to take control of the contest early and held the lead throughout the majority of the half behind nine early points by Alston over the first 20 minutes.
With the CSU lead in double-digits late, Asheville (2-21, 0-12 Big South) brought the game back to within two possessions following back-to-back baskets in the paint by Gentry Manley and Jeannie Buckner, but CSU was also to hold off the stand in recording their second win over the Lady Bulldogs in the 2012-2013 season.
Fowler led all players with 17 points and added six assists in the game to pace CSU's offense, while Alston recorded eight defensive rebounds and went 6-for-10 from the floor to finish with her third double-double of the season. Anicia Dotson narrowly missed double figures with nine points, connecting on three three-pointers in the game in the win.
Paige Love led Asheville with a double-double of her own, finishing the contest with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Kelli Riles narrowly missed out on her second double-double of the season against Charleston Southern, settling for 11 points and nine rebounds in the loss. Manley was also in double-digits with 10 points, while Grace Blaylock set up the Bulldogs attack with six assists.
Riles and Love opened the scoring with baskets inside the paint in the first minute to stake Asheville to the early 4-0 lead before Fowler put the Lady Bucs on the scoreboard with a three-pointer. Alston followed with a trey of her own as CSU went on a 12-0 run as Dotson also connected from deep, while Whitney Collins scored a layup to give Charleston Southern the early 12-4 lead with 15:17 to play in the first half.
Manley ended the CSU run with a jumper off the assist from Love on Asheville's next trip down the court, but CSU extended the lead back into double-digits as Alston hit a pair of free throws and Monique Maximilien connected on a short jumper inside the paint to give CSU the 17-6 advantage at the 13:22 mark.
Asheville cut into the lead, going on an 8-0 run to bring the game back to within one possession as Blaylock and Love both connected on three-pointers, putting the score at 17-14 with 8:54 to play, setting up a battle the rest of the way through the opening half.
Asheville continued to keep the game within reach, but CSU's lead never fell below three points as Erin Bratcher connected on a three-pointer with 2:19 remaining to give the Lady Bucs the 28-22 lead. Blaylock followed with a layup at the other end and Manley hit one of two free throw attempts in the closing seconds of the half as CSU held the 28-25 halftime lead inside Kimmel Arena.
Love cut the lead down to two points on the first possession of the second half, converting her first free throw attempt and Manley kept the game within two points with a jumper inside the paint with 16:32 remaining, but CSU advanced their lead to double-digits for the second time in the game in the following possessions.
On a three-pointer by Fowler at the 16:06 mark, the Lady Bucs went on a 10-2 run as Dotson hit from behind the arc again before Alston closed out the run with a layup, giving CSU the 42-32 advantage.
The lead would hover around 10 before Fowler was fouled on a three-point attempt. The CSU junior guard connected on all three foul shots, giving Charleston Southern their largest lead of the ball game at 52-39 with 5:07 left in the contest.
Asheville rattled off a 9-2 run over the final five minutes with Riles and Buckner converting three-point play opportunities during the stretch as the Lady Bulldogs pulled within six points with 33 seconds remaining following a Blaylock made free throw.
The Bulldogs' comeback attempt fell short in the closing seconds as tough defense by Charleston Southern forced two long three-point attempts by Love and Blaylock with neither finding the bottom of the net as Charleston Southern closed out the 54-48 conference victory.
Charleston Southern lost the battle of the boards on the evening as Asheville held the 44-40 edge, but CSU won in second chance points, outscoring the Lady Bulldogs 11-2 off of offensive rebounds in the win.
CSU shot 36.5 percent (19-52) from the floor, while Asheville hit 30.2 percent (19-63) of their attempts.
Charleston Southern remains on the road in Big South Conference play as the Lady Bucs travel to Boiling Springs, N.C. on Saturday afternoon to take on Gardner-Webb. Tipoff between the Lady Bucs and the Runnin' Bulldogs is set for 4:30 p.m., with the game to be broadcast on ESPN3.
