Savannah State Women's Basketball Routs Charleston Southern To Open Season 2-0

SAVANNAH, Georgia – The Savannah State women's basketball team garnered a second big win in Tiger Arena Saturday, routing the Lady Buccaneers of Charleston Southern 75-47 to open the 2013-14 campaign 2-0.

SSU's last win over Charleston Southern came on November 26, 2007, when the Lady Tigers edged by CSU 65-63 in Tiger Arena.

Senior Ezinne Kalu led the field with 17 point, while freshman Kenyata Hendrix recorded 16 points. The Lady Tigers were balanced in the rebounding game. Charmaine Greene, Rhianna Warren and Kalu each had four, while six other Lady Tigers had three rebounds. SSU outrebounded the Lady Bucs' 41-39.

SSU opened the game with an 8-0 run capped by a 3-pointer from Hendrix. The Lady Tigers hit 5-of-12 three point offerings in the opening half, while CSU struggled from beyond the arch, missing seven straight.

Jasmine Norman extended the Lady Tigers lead to 11 points, 17-6, behind a fast-break layup that drew the foul. Norman sank the free-throw to cap the three point play with 10:36 on the clock.

The Lady Tigers took control of the momentum in the next five minutes with a 12-4 run. Hendrix drained her second 3-pointer at the 5:56 mark to lift SSU to a 19 point lead, 29-10.

Anicia Dotson sank two free-throws a minute later, but Kalu responded with a 3-pointer for a 20 point SSU lead, 32-12; it was their largest lead of the first half with 4:20 yet to play.

Chantrell Frazier hit a layup in the paint with 2:28 to play for a 34-16 advantage. Dotson sank a layup with 1:43 to play for a 34-16 score into the locker room.

SSU opened the second half with an 8-4 run for a 23 point lead, 43-20. Freshman Tiyonda Davis capped the run with a layup in the paint.

With 14:18 to play, Jasmine Kirkland drained a short jump shot to lift SSU to a 45-24 advantage. The Lady Tigers maintained a 20-plus point lead for the rest of the contest.

Hendrix scored the final points for the Lady Tigers on a layup with 41 seconds to play, giving SSU their largest lead of the night, 75-45.

CSU freshman Tatum Jarvis scored the final points of the game on a short jump shot with 25 seconds to play. Tatum led the Lady Bucs' with 11 points and five rebounds.

SSU shot 40 percent from the floor (29-for-71) and from the 3-point line (9-22). They shot at a 61.5 percent clip from the charity strip.

The Lady Bucs' were 36.6 percent from the floor, and a surprising 0-12 from beyond the arch. CSU hit 10 3-pointers in their home opener against Southern Wesleyan last week.

The Lady Tigers open a 10-game road stretch with a visit to Waco, Texas for the Athletics in Action Classic, hosted by NCAA Division I, Women's Basketball perennial power Baylor University.  SSU plays Baylor on November 21 at 7 p.m. (CST).

Box Score

COURTESY SAVANNAH STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION