Box Score Box Score

NORTH CHARLESTON, SC— Erin Bratcher's three-pointer with 2:04 left in the game broke a 75-75 tie as Winthrop was outscored 8-3 to end the game and fell 83-78 to Charleston Southern, Monday evening in Big South Conference women's basketball action.

Bratcher received a pass from Shay Jones and drained a three from the corner as Charleston Southern improved to 9-4 overall and 2-0 in the Big South. Winthrop dropped its second straight game and is now 6-8 overall and 0-2 in the league.

Rachelle Coward made two free throws to put the Lady Bucs in front 75-72 with 3:26 to go in the game when Winthrop came right down the court on the ensuing possession and Samiya Wright drained a three with a defender in her face to tie the game.

Winthrop was within three points at 79-76 with 25 seconds to go after Jones only converted 1-for-2 at the line, but Diana Choibekova's three-point look was long and the Eagles couldn't corral the loose ball.

The Lady Eagles had taken the lead for the first time in the second half after Choibekova hit a triple for a 58-56 lead at the 13:46 mark and the lead extended to six points with 12:03 left after back-to-back baskets from Dequesha McClanahan. Winthrop's offense went a little cold at that point and managed only four points in the next five and a half minutes, allowing the Lady Bucs to inch their way back into a tie at 66-66 with 6:39 left as Coward knocked down her fifth three of the game.

The first half lived up to the expectations coming into the game as Charleston Southern and Winthrop are ranked first and second in scoring respectively in the Big South. The Lady Bucs came out launching threes and after McClanahan scored the first basket of the game on a drive to the hoop, Coward answered with a four-point play as she was fouled while draining a three. Coward made the free throw and that sparked a run that put Charleston Southern up 9-2 after Bratcher drilled a three-pointer.

Winthrop shot 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from behind the arc and connected on 10-for-12 free throws in the first half. Charleston Southern shot 54 percent from the field and 53 percent from three and led 45-40 at the intermission.

Wright ended the early 9-0 run by the Lady Bucs as she drilled a three and the lead was cut to four points after TaQuoia Hammick scored on a short baseline jumper off a McClanahan feed. Winthrop tied the game at 12-12 at the 14:25 mark after a McClanahan knocked down a jumper. Charleston Southern came right back with another Coward triple.

Winthrop pulled within one point after Hammick made two free throws and then took its first lead of the game after Choibekova drained a three for a 17-15 advantage. Choibekova came into the game off an 0-for-13 shooting performance at Coastal Carolina and had missed 16 straight until she drilled a three at the 15:01 mark of the first half.

Kaitlyn Rubino scored inside off a dish from McClanahan to stretch the lead to four points and pushed the lead to seven points when Choibekova hit another three.

Charleston Southern worked its way back into the lead over the next few minutes and took the lead, 31-29 after a Bratcher three pointer in transition. The Lady Bucs stretched their lead to seven points, but Winthrop was able to cut the lead down to five points at the break.

Winthrop ended up shooting 50 percent from the field in the game and was led by McClanahan's 30 points as she also dished out eight assists and pulled down six rebounds. It's the second time in three games that McClanahan has reached the 30-point mark.

Choibekova ended the game with 17 points while Hammick and Wright each added 13 points. Hammick also had seven rebounds.

Coward also finished with 30 points as she was 7-for-11 from the field and 11-for-12 at the foul line. Bratcher had 20 points while Anicia Dotson had 10.

Winthrop wraps-up its four-game road trip at Presbyterian College on Saturday, Jan. 7 at 5 p.m. in Clinton, SC.