Charleston Southern women’s basketball team was defeated by Radford 92-78 at the Buccaneer Fieldhouse on Saturday. The Buccaneers, now holding an 8-19 record overall and 6-8 in conference play, saw four players score in double figures during the game.
Caelan Ellis led Charleston Southern with a game-high 23 points, coming close to her career-best of 26. Tyonna Bailey contributed 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, achieving her fourth consecutive double-double and sixth of the season. Thelma Barbitch added 14 points, making four out of five attempts from three-point range, while freshman Aïssé Coulibaly scored a career-high 11 points.
Charleston Southern matched Radford early in the first quarter, trailing by just one point after ten minutes. However, Radford began to separate in the second quarter with a decisive 9-0 run and shot over 70 percent from the field during that period. This allowed them to build a ten-point halftime lead at 49-39.
The Buccaneers responded strongly in the third quarter, shooting nearly 44 percent from the field and reducing Radford’s lead to single digits heading into the final frame. Ellis scored 18 of her total points in the second half, but Radford maintained their efficiency to secure the win.
For Radford, Joi Williams scored 22 points and Kirah Dandridge added 17. As a team, Radford shot just over 50 percent for the game and finished with a slight rebounding advantage. They also outscored Charleston Southern in the paint by a margin of 42-26 and capitalized on turnovers for additional points.
Bailey’s performance marked her fourth straight double-double this season. Ellis’ effort left her three points shy of matching her career high against Longwood earlier this year. Charleston Southern made twelve three-pointers at a fifty percent success rate but could not overcome Radford’s scoring inside.
Charleston Southern will continue its Big South schedule on Wednesday, February 25 against Longwood.
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