#5 Winthrop Wins at the Buzzer over #4 Charleston Southern, 48-45
By Winthrop Athletics
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Winthrop won their first Big South Tournament game since 2014 by a final score of 48-45 on Olivia Wagner's buzzer-beater from deep vs. Charleston Southern in the quarterfinals of the Hercules Tire Big South Women's Basketball Tournament on Thursday afternoon.
BOX SCORE
First Quarter | CSU scored the first four points of the game before a Blessing Okoh triple and baskets by Marissa Gasaway and Ronaltha Marc gave Winthrop a 7-4 lead with 3:18 left. During the 7-0 run for the Eagles, the defense held the Bucs without a point for four minutes. CSU would then end the frame with an 8-0 run to take a 12-7 lead.
Second Quarter | The two teams would combine for five points in the first three minutes of the second quarter, leaving the Bucs ahead 14-10. Mya Pierfax got two quick buckets to tie the contest at 14 with 4:27 remaining while Winthrop again forced CSU into a long stretch without scoring, holding them scoreless for nearly five minutes. CSU then scored five of the next seven points to take a 19-16 lead going into the break.
Third Quarter | Both teams each recorded eight points in the first six minutes, with the Bucs still ahead by three at 27-24 with 2:17 left. After basket by CSU, Amourie Porter drained one from deep to cut the lead to two with 1:32 left but the Bucs scored two quick baskets to take a six-point lead at 33-27 going into the fourth quarter.
Fourth Quarter | CSU began the fourth quarter with a basket but Marc made it a five-point affair with a three-pointer at the 8:36 mark, making the score 35-30 in favor of the Bucs. The Bucs scored four quick points to take it up to nine but Porter scored on a layup and then on the next Eagle possession scored once again and drew a foul. The ensuing free throw cut it to four with 6:53 left. After another score by the Bucs, Winthrop then rallied to tie the game at 41 on a 6-0 with 2:28 left after Porter's basket while holding the Bucs scoreless for four minutes. CSU would hit a pair of free throws to break the tie with 2:07 to go but Marc only hit one of two free throws to leave her team down one with 1:48. After forcing a turnover, Konnor Gambrell's basket gave Winthrop a one-point lead with 1:12 left, 45-44. The Bucs answered with a layup with 53 seconds remaining to go up one but Porter hit a free throw to tie it up with 40 seconds left. After playing good defense, Winthrop got the ball back with a chance to win it. But Porter traveled on the play. CSU inbounded the ball at midcourt with three seconds left for their chance to win the game but they committed an offensive foul during the inbounds pass, giving Winthrop another shot to win it in regulation, setting the stage for Wagner's heroics.