Women's Basketball 12/19/2013 11:15:00 PM

Davis, Kalu Lead Women’s Basketball Past Charleston Southern

Box Score

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Freshman Tiyonda Davis recorded her second career double-double Thursday night, and senior Ezinne Kalu led Savannah State in points, as the Lady Tigers downed Charleston Southern 72-63 at the Buc Dome in Charleston, South Carolina.

Davis put up 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Kalu scored 19 points and had 6 steals in the win. It was the second time the Lady Tigers beat the Lady Bucs' this year and the third straight game in which SSU has scored more than 70 points. SSU improves to 5-5 overall, while CSU falls to 3-6.

The Lady Tigers shot 41.8 percent from the floor and outrebounded the Lady Bucs 42-34. CSU was led by Jarvis Tatum who led the field with 25 points. Erin Bratcher added 12 and Alyssa Mann scored 11, as the Lady Bucs shot 40.8 percent from the floor.

SSU has dominated in the paint in their last two games. In a 79-55 win over Longwood last Sunday, the Lady Tigers scored 58 points in the paint. Against the Lady Bucs' on Thursday, SSU scored 30 of their points in the paint.

SSU opened the first four minutes of Thursday's game with a 9-0 run. At the 15:56 mark, the Lady Bucs scored their first points, behind a 3-pointer from Bratcher.

At the 14:40 mark, Bria Dorsey put SSU up by 10 points, 13-3, with a layup in the paint. SSU commanded the first half with 41 points, going up by as much as 12 points. DJ Fowler scored the last three points of the first half for a 41-32 SSU advantage at the half.

SSU scored 20 points in the paint, 10 off turnovers and 11 on second chance offerings in the opening period. Charleston Southern shot 50 percent from the field in the first half and 55.6 percent from the 3-point line, going 5-for-9.

Three minutes into the second half, Jasmine Kirkland drained a layup in the paint, lifting SSU to a 49-36 advantage as the Lady Tigers continued to control the game.

The Lady Tigers took their largest lead of the game at the 7:25 mark with a good 3-pointer from Kalu, for a 65-51 advantage.

In the waning minutes, Charleston Southern made a late 6-2 run to get within six points of SSU's lead. Fowler sank a free-throw with 1:07 to play, cutting the Lady Tigers lead to 69-63.

In the final minute, SSU went on a 3-0 run behind three free-throws from Dorsey and Kalu for the final 9-point margin. Each team scored 31 points in the second half.

SSU is winding up a season-long 10-game road stretch with the final two games. They face Alabama State on December 22, and then South Carolina on December 28, before returning to Tiger Arena on December 29 for a match with Troy University.

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