CHARLESTON, S.C.- Alexus Hill scored a game-high 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting and Olivia Parker recorded her fourth straight double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds, but Charleston Southern hit 15-of-16 from the free-throw line as it defeated the Gardner-Webb women's basketball team 66-63 on Saturday afternoon in the Buc Dome.
Charleston Southern snaps Gardner-Webb's two game-win streak and improves to 12-14 overall and moves to 7-10 in the Big South, while the Runnin' Bulldogs fall to 17-10 and 11-6 in conference play.
Candace Brown was also in double-figures for GWU with 18 points and also grabbed five boards, while Charleston Southern had four players notch double-figure scoring performances on the afternoon as Alecia Hardy had 11, and Shauntavia Dobson, Ke'Asia Jackson, and Alyssa Mann each had 10.
Gardner-Webb held a 49-45 lead heading into the final quarter of play but the Buccaneers held on for the win knocking down all eight of their free-throw attempts, while GWU hit just 4-of-9 from the charity stripe.
The first quarter featured six ties and seven lead changes as the two sides were deadlocked at 16 after the first quarter.
Charleston Southern opened the second quarter on a 13-0 run and led 29-16 with 4:30 to play before half but Brown's two free-throws with five seconds left in the half cut the CSU lead to eight (34-26) heading into halftime.
Gardner-Webb cut into the lead in the third quarter as it opened on a 13-4 run and took a 39-38 lead on Hill's three-pointer midway through the third quarter.
The Runnin' Bulldogs outscored CSU 23-11 in the third quarter as GWU hit 9-of-17 from the field (52.9%) and limited the Bucs to just 3-of-12 and Gardner-Webb led 49-45 heading into the final 10 minutes of play.
The Dogs led 57-52 midway through the fourth quarter as Tierra Huntsman went 1-of-2 from the line, but CSU held GWU scoreless for nearly three minutes and after Jackson and Lakes drilled back-to-back jump shots, the Bucs led 60-59 with 57 seconds left in regulation.
Charleston Southern was clutch down the stretch hitting 6-of-6 from the charity stripe and held on for the 66-63 victory.
Gardner-Webb returns home for its final home game Tuesday, when it hosts first-place UNC Asheville for a key Big South matchup at 7:00 p.m.
