College of Charleston
Georgia State
Cougars Survive Panther Rally, Edge Georgia State 51-49
11/29/2008 5:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Brooke Kotcella (Anderson, S.C.) posted her third career double-double, with 10 rebounds and 15 points, including two clutch free throws with thirty seconds remaining that gave the Cougars a four-point lead after a Panther rally tied the game with just under two minutes remaining, to lead the College of Charleston women's basketball team to the 51-49 victory over Georgia State in action this afternoon at the Carolina First Arena.
Charleston won its second game in a row to improve to 4-1, its best start since going 4-0 to open the 2001-02 season. The Panthers drop to 1-2 on the year.
Danyiell McKeller led the Panthers with 15 points, with Crystal Johnson following with 10 on the afternoon. Jylisa Williams pulled down a team-leading nine rebounds.
Charleston used five three-pointers, three by Kotcella, to build a 25-11 lead with 7:31 in the first half. Georgia State cut the margin to eight, 25-17 with 4::37 to go, off a small 6-0 run before ending the half down by 12, 31-19.
The Panthers were held to just 25.7 percent from the field in the half, compared to 44.0 for the Cougars. Charleston was six-for-17 from beyond the three-point line, with Georgia State just one-for-11.
Down by 15, 38-23, with 14:40 remaining in the game, Georgia State pressed the Cougars, forcing 13 turnovers en route to a 24-9 run over the next 12 minutes to tie the game at 47-47 with 1:59 to go. A Deidra Jones (Irmo, S.C.) jumper gave the lead to the Cougars for good at 1:31, with Kotcella's free throws sealing the win after a Johnson basket cut the lead back to two with 11 seconds to go. Charleston turned the ball over to give the Panthers one last shot but Williams' 15-foot jumper with two seconds to go, rimmed off.
Following Kotcella in points for the Cougars was Nikki Williams (North, S.C.) with her 13.
Charleston out-rebounded the Panthers 45-42 and had eight more turnovers, 26-18. The Cougars finished the game six-for-17 from the three-point arc. Charleston went 35.8 percent from the field in the game, while Georgia State was 29.2. The Cougars are now 23-0 when holding opponents to under 30 percent since joining the Southern Conference in 1998-99.
The Cougars host S.C. State Wednesday, Dec. 3 at 7:00 p.m. Georgia State returns home to face Presbyterian Tuesday, Dec. 2 at 6:00 p.m.
