ASHEVILLE, N.C. (Interstat) — Caelan Ellis scored 22 points and Charleston Southern used a decisive second-quarter surge to build a lead it would never relinquish, holding off UNC Asheville 72-66 in a Big South Conference women’s basketball game Wednesday night at Kimmel Arena.

The Buccaneers, who entered the game having lost two straight and eight of their last nine, improved to 5-13 overall. The Bulldogs dropped to 6-12.

The game turned in the second period with Charleston Southern clamping down defensively. After the teams played to a 15-15 tie in the opening quarter, the Buccaneers outscored the Bulldogs 22-15 in the second to take a 37-30 halftime advantage. UNC Asheville managed to connect on just 3 of 19 attempts from three-point range for the game and shot 35.5% overall from the field. Charleston Southern was more efficient, shooting 43.8% and hitting nine three-pointers.

Ellis, a 5-foot-6 guard from Powder Springs, Georgia, led all scorers, adding three assists in 34 minutes. She was supported by a strong backcourt performance from Tyonna Bailey, who added 20 points, and Asha Sra, who had 15 points and four assists. Mya Dotson contributed three blocks for a Charleston Southern defense that forced 10 turnovers and limited UNC Asheville to an offensive rating of 88.5 points per 100 possessions.

UNC Asheville was led by Journee McDaniel’s 19 points and a near double-double from Jamaria Freeman, who finished with 15 points and nine assists. Nia Green posted 16 points and five assists for the Bulldogs, who dominated the offensive glass with 16 rebounds but converted only nine of 18 free throw attempts.

The Bulldogs chipped away in the third quarter, outscoring Charleston Southern 19-18 to trim the deficit to 55-49 entering the final period. They continued to press in the fourth, closing to within four points on multiple occasions. A driving layup by Freeman with 24 seconds remaining cut the Charleston Southern lead to 68-66.

The Buccaneers, however, sealed the game at the free throw line. After being fouled, Sra sank two clutch free throws with 14 seconds left to push the lead back to four. Following a missed three-pointer by UNC Asheville, Ellis was fouled and made two more free throws with five seconds remaining to provide the final margin.

The most critical sequence of the game occurred late in the fourth quarter with Charleston Southern clinging to a narrow lead. After a Freeman jumper made it a two-point game with under a minute to play, the Buccaneers executed a crucial offensive possession. With the shot clock winding down, Ellis hit a deep three-pointer off an assist from Sra with 50 seconds left, extending the lead to 68-62 and forcing UNC Asheville to play from behind in the final minute. That shot proved to be the decisive basket, as the Bulldogs could not draw closer than four points the rest of the way.

Charleston Southern’s victory snapped a two-game conference skid. The Buccaneers host Gardner-Webb on Saturday. UNC Asheville looks to rebound on the road at Presbyterian, also on Saturday.