CHARLESTON, S.C. (Interstat) — The College of Charleston women’s basketball team used a dominant fourth-quarter surge to pull away from Hofstra for a 72-55 victory in a Colonial Athletic Association contest Friday night at TD Arena.

The Cougars, improving to 9-3 overall and 1-0 in league play, outscored the Pride 26-6 in the final period, turning a competitive game into a comfortable win in front of 433 fans. Hofstra, which led briefly in the first half, fell to 2-10 and 0-1.

The game’s decisive stretch came in the fourth quarter, where Charleston’s defense completely stifled Hofstra. After the Pride’s Ema Karim hit a jumper to open the period, bringing the score to 46-48, the Cougars embarked on a 24-4 run over the next eight minutes to seal the outcome. Hofstra managed just two field goals in the entire quarter, shooting 2-of-15 from the floor while committing five turnovers against the Cougars’ intensified pressure.

The backcourt duo of Taryn and Taylor Barbot, sisters from Floral Park, New York, powered the College of Charleston offense throughout the night. Taryn Barbot scored a game-high 24 points, including 10 in the final quarter, and added six assists. Taylor Barbot played all 40 minutes, contributing 17 points, six assists and four steals. Their combined backcourt pressure was instrumental in forcing 21 Hofstra turnovers, which the Cougars converted into 23 points.

Hofstra guard Ema Karim, from Paredes, Portugal, kept her team in contention through three quarters, finishing with 17 points, all of which came in the first three periods. Chloe Sterling added 10 points and four assists for the Pride.

The game was tightly contested for the first 30 minutes. Hofstra, trailing 30-15 after a sluggish first half, found its rhythm in the third quarter. Karim hit a pair of three-pointers early in the period, part of a 19-point quarter for the Pride that cut the deficit to 46-49 entering the final frame. The Pride’s defense held Charleston to just 16 points in the third, setting the stage for a close finish.

However, the Cougars’ depth and defensive energy proved too much in the final stanza. Charleston shot 9-of-15 from the field in the fourth while holding Hofstra to 13% shooting. Key contributions came from Tyja Beans, who scored 10 of her 12 points in the second half, and Marissa Brown, whose interior defense included a block and several key rebounds.

The first half was a story of runs. College of Charleston built a 15-10 lead after one quarter, but Hofstra responded with a 20-point second quarter, sparked by Emma Von Essen’s eight points off the bench, to briefly take a lead before the Cougars closed the half on a 10-2 spurt to reclaim a 30-25 advantage at the break.

The win extends College of Charleston’s strong start to the season, while Hofstra searches for its first win since early December. Both teams return to CAA action Sunday. The Cougars host Northeastern, while Hofstra travels to face UNC Wilmington.