Columbus State Women’s Basketball Falls to USC Aiken 45-38

COLUMBUS – The Columbus State women's basketball team lost its Peach Belt Conference opener 45-38 to USC Aiken Saturday afternoon in the Lumpkin Center.  CSU now stands at 5-2 on the year and 0-1 in conference while the Lady Pacers improve to 9-2 overall and 3-0 in the PBC.

Neither team was able to get into an offensive rhythm as both squads struggled shooting from the floor early on.  An Asha Alexander bucket at the 15:48 mark put the Lady Cougars up 7-2, their largest lead of the game.

USC Aiken responded with a 9-0 run to take 11-7 edge in the next minute and a half.  After a pair of Chatil Bradford free throws, the offensive woes for both teams were evident as neither team would score for over three and a half minutes.  Dominique Gilbert hit a jumper at the 9:10 mark to break the scoreless streak, tying the game at 11 all.  The Lady Pacers would score the next five points before CSU took the lead 17-16 with 5:41 to go in the first half, which was the last time they had the lead in the contest.  USCA would close out the half on a 9-5 run taking a 25-22 lead into the locker room.

The run continued at the start of the second half as they scored the first four points, giving them the biggest lead in the game, 29-22.

Like they have all year, Columbus State kept on fighting to crawl their way back into the game.  Sparked by Bradford, Gilbert and Nakita Holt, the Lady Cougars went on an 11-4 run knotting the game at 33-33 with 11:22 remaining.  Bradford scored five points, Holt added four points and Gilbert added a basket in the spurt.

CSU had four straight possessions in which they could have taken the lead but were unable to do so.  The Lady Pacers would close the game on a 12-5 run.

Bradford tied for a game high 13 points on 4-of-9 shooting and went 5-for-6 at the free throw line.  Gilbert added 11 points as the only other Lady Cougar in double figures.  Marah Wright grabbed a game high 10 rebounds.  As a team, CSU held USCA to just 31.4% shooting from the floor including 3-of-17 (17.6%) from three-point range.

USC Aiken was led by Hannah DeGraffinreed who poured in 13 points while Lindsay Sundberg and Triahna Harris added 10 points and eight points, respectively.  Tiffani Moody and Deandra Schirmer both pulled down a team best seven boards.  The Lady Pacers out rebounded CSU in the game 39-32.

Columbus State takes another extended break before it participates in the 2010 Hampton Inn & Suites Fall Finals Classic hosted by Armstrong Atlantic State.  The Lady Cougars will take on Anderson (SC) in the first contest on Friday, December 17 and will play Mount Olive the next day.  Tip-off is set for 1:00 p.m. for both contests.