CLINTON, S.C. ? With five seconds left on the clock and down by two points, sophomore guard Katlin Moore (Fort Mill, S.C./Charlotte Catholic (N.C.)) drilled a jumper in the paint to tie the score at 47 all. As the game looked like it was headed for overtime, Charleston Southern's Katie Tull floated a three-pointer with 0.7 seconds remaining to give the Lady Bucs a 50-47 victory.
After a slow start in the first half, PC doubled its point production in the second period, making 43.3 percent of its shots from the floor and 37.5 percent from beyond the arc. The second half was highlighted by a 17-2 run by the Blue Hose that began with a fastbreak jumper by Moore at 15:34. Almost eight minutes later, Moore sank one from three-point land to bring PC within two points of Charleston Southern.
Moore was the only member of the Blue Hose to score double-figures, finishing the day with a career-high 22 points and making a career-best 10-of-20 shots from the floor.
The Lady Bucs showed signs of pulling away from the Blue Hose in the final minutes of the game, establishing a seven-point lead off a layup by Kiki Rutledge with 2:17 left to play. Sophomore guard Amanda Mills (Oregon City, Ore./San Diego Mesa CC) sliced the lead with a trey off a dish by Moore. Moore followed it up with two jumpers in the final minute before Tull made a last-second shot to win the game.
Defensively, junior forward Lea Smith (Marion, N.C./McDowell) and sophomore Chelsea Wright (Atlanta, Ga./Whitefield Academy) registered a game-high 10 rebounds apiece. Wright pulled down seven offensive boards while Smith grabbed eight off the glass in defensive situations. Moore and freshman Brittany Brown (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Latin) each recorded six rebounds, just one short of Moore's career high.
PC scored 16 points in the paint and 15 off turnovers by the Lady Bucs. The two teams tied with 40 rebounds each. The Blue Hose finished the game with a 36.4 shooting percentage while the Buccaneers made 32.8 percent of their shots.
The Blue Hose established an early lead in the first half as Moore and Wright both made baskets to take a 4-0 lead in the first three minutes of the game. A pair of baskets by Charleston Southern, including a three by Tull gave the Lady Bucs a one-point lead which Mills would erase 11 seconds later to tie the game at five. The lead changed seven times before a jumper by Tull changed the lead for the final time in the first half, giving the Buccaneers an 11-10 lead with 9:24 on the clock.
Charleston Southern ended the half on a six-point run, finishing the half with a pair of free throw shots by Kiki Rutledge to enter the locker room with a 23-16 lead.
Friday night marked the closest game PC has had with a Big South opponent that resulted in a loss.
