Charleston, S.C. –Winthrop dropped a heartbreaker to Charleston Southern on the road by a score of 74-54 on Wednesday night after a second half comeback by the Eagles fell just short.
 
Winthrop (3-16, 1-7 Big South) | Charleston Southern (3-17, 1-8 Big South)
Jan. 23, 2023 | Buccaneer Fieldhouse
Winthrop 49, Charleston Southern 53
 
How it Happened
 
First Quarter | After CSU got on the board first, Jada Ryce tied the game with two free throws at the 6:57 mark. CSU would answer with five unanswered points until Aaishah Barry hit a layup with 3:37 remaining to cut the deficit to three, at 7-4. Both teams would then fail to score for the next three minutes until Shamyjha Price hit a layup with 32 seconds left to make it a one-point game at the end of the quarter.
 
Second Quarter | The Bucs opened the second frame with a layup but Frances Brown responded with a jumper of her own to make it 9-8 CSU nearly two minutes in. The home team would get two quick scores for a 13-8 lead only to have Ryce hit one in the lane to cut to a one-possession game again with 5:41 left. CSU then went on a 12-2 run to take a 25-12 lead with 1:44 left as the Eagles failed to score for more than three minutes. Trailing by 13, Winthrop would go on a 5-0 run to end the half. Tori Hall started the small rally with a layup with 1:17 left and Paige Powell would hit a free throw a few plays later to make the score 25-15 in favor of CSU with 49 seconds remaining. Price then concluded the run and the half with a layup with 13 seconds left to make the score 25-17 Bucs going into the break.
 
Third Quarter | The Bucs hit a triple to start the second half but Ryce hit a layup and Leonor Paisana got herself on the stat sheet with a score from downtown to make it a six-point game more than a minute in. After a CSU score, Winthrop went on a 9-1 run to cut to tie it at 31 with nearly three minutes left on a Powell layup. Barry's two baskets accounted for four of the Eagle points during the rally. The Bucs would end the rally with four free throws with 1:50 left. Now down by four, Barry hit a layup but CSU got five quick points to give them a seven-point edge and end the quarter up 40-33.  
 
Fourth Quarter | The Eagles began the final quarter with three Powell free throws to make it a four-point contest before CSU hit a layup to go up six on the next scoring play. Powell would hit two layups and a free throw to cut it to one at 42-41 with nearly six minutes left. Hall then put Winthrop in the lead with a layup on the next play. Hall's score capped off a 7-0 run. Two more free throws put CSU back in front but Powell gave the Eagles the lead right back on a layup. This made the score 45-44 Winthrop with 4:34 left. After another Bucs score, Ryce gave Winthrop a 47-46 lead on two free throws with 3:14 left. CSU would hit a triple with 1:18 left to give them a 49-47 lead but Paisana hit a free throw to cut it to one a 49-48 with 1:05 left. The Bucs then hit a layup with 41 seconds left to take a 51-48 lead. But Winthrop was not done. After playing good defense, Powell was fouled. Powell would only hit one of two free throws to make it a two-point game with 28 seconds left, forcing Winthrop to start fouling in order to stop the clock and hope that CSU would miss from the charity stripe to give Winthrop one more chance. CSU would indeed miss their free throw and Winthrop called timeout down two to setup an attempt to go for either the tie or the win. Unfortunately, Powell turned it over with 17 seconds left, forcing Winthrop to foul once again. CSU made one of two to make a three-point game with 14 seconds left, giving the Eagles one more shot to tie the game and force overtime. But Powell turned it over again and the Bucs hit one more free throw to hang on for a 53-49 victory after a second-half Eagle comeback fell just short.
 
Statistical Standouts (Team)

• Winthrop outscored CSU in second chance points, 11-10
• There were a combined 12 lead changes eight ties
• Winthrop outscored CSU in the paint, 28-24
• Winthrop held CSU to 3-of-13 from the field in the first quarter
• Winthrop out rebounded CSU, 41-35
• Winthrop was 7-of-13 from the field in the third quarter
• Four Eagles played 30+ minutes
• Powell set season-highs in FT made and attempts and steals
• Powell recorded her fifth double-double on the season
• Price set a season-high in steals
• Paisana set a season-high in rebounds
• Hall set season-highs in FG made and attempts

Statistical Standouts (Individual)
Shamyjha Price (32 min, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 steals, 6 points)
Paige Powell (35 min, 7-14 FT, 12 rebounds, 4 steals, 17 pts)
Leonor Paisana (33 min, 7 rebounds, 3 steals)
Aaishah Barry (15 min, 3-5 FG, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks, 6 pts)
 
Up Next
Winthrop returns to Rock Hill for a rematch with Presbyterian this Saturday with a 2:00 p.m. tip-off.
 
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