CONWAY, S.C. - AJ Jordan scored a career-high 21 points for Coastal Carolina as the host Chanticleers held off visiting Charleston Southern, 64-56, on Saturday afternoon inside The HTC Center.

Lakeitha Alston recorded her first double-double of the season with 17 points and 12 rebounds and the Myrtle Beach, S.C. native moved into seventh place in the CSU all-time scoring ranks with a layup in the second half, while DJ Fowler added 14 points and four assists for the Lady Bucs (5-7, 0-3 BSC) in the loss. Shay Jones was also in double-digits with 12 points, tying a career-high with three three-pointers in the game.

Jordan led CCU (7-7, 2-2 BSC) with 21 points and added nine rebounds in narrowly missing out in the double-double, while Katelyn Connor had 12 points and two blocked shots in the win. Overall, all nine Coastal Carolina players who saw the court in the game scored a basket as CCU held the 36-16 scoring edge inside the paint and 13-2 scoring advantage off the bench.

Bratcher opened up the first half with the hot hand, connecting on her first two three-point attempts to stake the Lady Bucs to the early 6-0 lead less than two minutes into the game. Alexx Puckett put the Chanticleers on the board with a layup at the 17:32 mark for the first points of the game for Coastal Carolina, putting the home team on the scoreboard.

Monique Maximilien followed the CCU basket with an offensive rebound and layup in the paint to extend the lead back to six, but Katelyn Connor followed with a three-point play, driving in for the layup and made a free throw attempt to cut the lead down to three with under 17 minutes to play on the clock in the first half. A layup on the next possession by DJ Fowler extended the CSU lead to five, but Puckett made the first of two free throw attempts and Shatia Cole was fouled as she made a layup on the break and connected on the following free throw to put the score at 10-9 at the 15:39 mark.

Charleston Southern answered the Coastal Carolina challenge with a 6-0 run sparked by three free throws by Fowler, while Bratcher connected on her third three-pointer of the half to push the Lady Bucs lead to 16-9 with 13:15 to play in the period.

Coastal Carolina followed the three-pointer with a 10-0 run spanning the next 8:16 as the Chanticleers went up 19-16 following a jumper by AJ Jordan with 5:56 to play in the half. Savanah Pippen gave the Chants their first lead of the game with back-to-back layups, while Kayla Cook and Jordan also scored during the run.

Following the Jordan basket, Jones answered with a three-pointer from the right wing on the pass from Maximilien to snap the eight-minute CSU scoreless streak and Fowler followed with a pair of free throws to push Charleston Southern ahead 21-19 with 4:15 to play in the first half.

Coastal Carolina closed out the half with an 11-0 run over the final four minutes of the half as Puckett started the run with a jumper from the short right corner and Cook connected on a three-pointer to put the Chanticleers ahead. Jordan, Jena Hamrick and DJ Hunter also scored during the stretch as Coastal Carolina went into the half with the 30-21 lead.

CCU's lead reached double-digits with the first points of the second half as Puckett connected on the second of two free throw attempts to put the score at 31-21, but CSU rallied with five consecutive points as Jones drove in for the layup and made a three-pointer to put the score at 31-26 with 18:01 to play in the game.

With the score at 33-28 following a Jones' free throw, Coastal Carolina went on an 8-0 run in building their largest lead of the contest at 41-28 as Puckett connected on a short jumper with 15:19 remaining in the game.

Lakeitha Alston ended the run and made her first basket of the evening with a layup with 14:54 to play in the contest, sparking an 11-2 run as CSU cut the lead back to within two possessions. The made basket moved Alston into to seventh in the CSU all-time scoring ranks, passing Yolanda Brown (1985-89) with the basket.

Alston scored seven points during the run as the Lady Bucs cut the Coastal Carolina lead down to 43-39 with 11:47 to play in the game, but CCU responded with seven consecutive points to extend the lead back out to double-digits following a three-point play by Connor with 9:29 to play.

The Lady Bucs brought the lead back to within single digits with 7:32 remaining as Alston made a pair of free throws to put the score at 52-43 and Jones tied a career-high with her third made three-pointer in the game to put the score within six with 6:32 to play.

CSU continued their rally, bringing the game back to within two possessions at 60-55 with 2:31 to play as Anicia Dotson connected on a pair of free throws, but that was as close as the Lady Bucs comeback came as Angelica Henry made all four of her free throw attempts in the final two minutes as the Chants recorded the 64-56 victory.

Charleston Southern continued to showcase their ability to hit a free throw as the Lady Bucs converted 18-of-23 from the free throw line as a team in the loss. Fowler paced the CSU efforts from the stripe hitting 8-of-10 attempts, while Alston converted seven of her nine shots from the free throw line.

Charleston Southern remains in Big South Conference play as the Lady Bucs return home next week for a pair of home games against conference foes Liberty and Longwood. The Lady Bucs host the Flames of Liberty on Thursday, January 10th, with tipoff inside the Buc Dome set for 7 p.m. CSU takes on the Longwood Lancers on Saturday, January 12th, with game time slated for 2 p.m.