Blue Hose Drop Heartbreaker to Charleston Southern
February 22, 2021
 
CLINTON, S.C. –The Blue Hose outscored the Bucs 39-26 in the second half to rally from a 13-point deficit at the break and force overtime against the Bucs, but Phlandrous Fleming hit a game-winner as time expired to give Charleston Southern a 78-77 OT win over the Presbyterian College men's basketball team in Big South action Monday evening at Templeton Center in Clinton, S.C. Rayshon Harrison recorded a career-high 31 points and 13 rebounds to lead PC.
 
Scoring the Game
A one or two-point game for much of the opening nine minutes, the Bucs led the Blue Hose, 18-17, 11:08 on the clock. It was CSU that began to click on offense first, using a 15-4 run over the next six minutes to build a 12-point, 33-21 lead, 5:37 remaining. Five unanswered, including an impressive Harrison dunk, helped the home team cut the margin to seven, but the Bucs fired back with 10 straight, the points coming from two three-pointers and four free throws, to take their largest lead of the half at 17, 43-26, 49 seconds on the clock.  The Blue Hose close out the half with a basket and two free throws to head into the locker room trailing 30-43.  
 
A second half opening 9-2 run by PC made it a six-point game with 16:20 to go, before back-to-back scores from the visitors took the lead back to double-digits, 49-39, 14:43 remaining.  Taking advantage of fouls by CSU, PC connected on seven of them, to trim the Buc lead to five, 46-51, 12:42 on the clock. A seven-point game at 49-56, with 9:48 to go, Owen McCormack hit a three, and sparked a 9-2 run as the Blue Hose tied it up at 58-58, 6:41 left. Two free throws by Harrison at 5:05 gave the Blue Hose their first lead of the game, 60-69. After CSU retook a one-point lead, the Blue Hose were able to take it back on two of their own and added a Winston Hill layup to take a three-point lead, 66-63, 2:36 to go. Bucs cut into that lead on a couple of occasions, but PC held the lead each time, including another three-point margin at 2:03, 68-65. Two free throws and a basket by the Bucs knotted the game for the fifth time at 69-69, 1:13 to go. That would turn out to be the last points of regulations as Harrison's last second shot barely missed, sending the game to overtime.
 
Tied at 73-73 just over three minutes to go in overtime, Harrison hit his second three-pointer of the night to build a PC three-point lead, 76-73, 3:03 left. Fleming's two free throws at the 20 second mark cut the margin to one, 76-75, but Harrison hit his 13^th free throw of the night at the 16 second mark to increase the margin to two. It was one too few as Fleming hit a game-winning three-pointer with .7 seconds remaining to give CSU the one-point 78-77 win.
 
Players of the Game
Phlandrous Fleming led Charleston Southern with 35 points and 11 rebounds, with PC hosting another three-point scorer in Rayshon Harrison with his 31 points and 13 rebounds for his first career double-double.  Trevon Reddish recorded his first double-double as well with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
 
Stats of the Game
PC shot 34.3% for the game and was 27-of-37 from the charity stripe.  Charleston Southern shot 36.4% from the field, and 23-of-31 from the free throw line. The Bucs edged the Blue Hose on the boards, 48-47, and recorded two fewer turnovers, 14-12. CSU hit seven three-pointers, with five coming from Phlandrous Fleming. PC hit four of them.
 
Notables

• The game marked the first overtime contest of the season.
• Rayshon Harrison scored a career-high 30 points and 13 rebounds for his first career double-double.
• Rayshon Harrison's 30 points tied for eighth in the PC Division I record book.
• Rayshon Harrison's career-high 13 free throws is tied for first, while his career-best 28 field goal attempts ranks second in the PC DI record book.
• The team went 27-of-37 from the charity stripe which ranks fourth and tied for fourth in the PC DI record book.
• Trevon Reddish pulled down a career-best 10 rebounds.

 
For the Record
PC moves to 7-14 overall, 5-12 in the league, while Charleston Southern improves to 3-18, 2-15.
 
Up Next
PC, who has finished the regular season, finds out who it is facing in the first round of the Big South Tournament later this week when seedings are announced.
 
How to follow
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