BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. -  It took all 40 minutes, but the Charleston Southern women's basketball team got it done on Thursday night, as they defeated the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs 67-65 on the road to begin 2025 and Big South play with a 1-0 record.

The Buccaneers (5-9, 1-0 in conference) did not take their first lead of the game until Catherine Alben pulled up from long range and knocked down a three pointer with 46 seconds left in the fourth quarter to give the Bucs the one-point advantage. 

The Runnin' Bulldogs (3-10, 0-1 in conference) followed that up with a jumper of their own with 30 seconds left to take a 65-64 lead. After a timeout, Tyonna Bailey drove to the paint and missed a layup, which was rebounded by Gardner-Webb. Bailey did not quit on the play, as she ripped the ball away and laid it in while drawing a foul with 10 seconds left to give the Buccaneers the advantage.

Charleston Southern was down by 14 points at the beginning of the fourth quarter, as the Runnin' Bulldogs knocked down a three pointer to begin the final frame. From there, the Buccaneers began their comeback. Madison Adamson connected on a triple with 8:01 left. Seconds later, Alben followed that up with a steal and a score the other way to make it a six-point deficit. 

With 6:56 left in the final quarter, Alben connected again, pulling up from beyond the arc to make it a 59-54 game. Then, Bailey was able to drive, score and draw the foul with 6:13 left, trimming the deficit to four.

Bailey had 11 points in the fourth quarter and drew three fouls in the process, knocking down all three of her free throws in the final frame. She finished with a career-high 21 points. Alben made two crucial three pointers down the stretch and finished with 18 points overall.

Gardner-Webb had the lead from the very beginning, as they dominated most of the first half, only allowing five points from the Buccaneers in the second quarter. They took a 33-22 lead into the locker room and led by as many as 16 points midway through the third quarter. 

The last time the Buccaneers overcame a double-digit deficit and won the game was in 2021, when they trailed Presbyterian by 10 points in the second half and won 66-63. 

Up Next
The Buccaneers will be back at home for the first time in over a month this Saturday, when they host the Longwood Lancers at the Buc Dome. Tip-off will be at 2:00 PM on ESPN+.