SHELBY, N.C. (Interstat) — In a grinding, defensive struggle defined by turnovers and missed shots, the Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs used a decisive fourth-quarter surge to pull away from the Charleston Southern Buccaneers for a 56-44 victory in a Big South Conference women’s basketball game Wednesday night at Paul Porter Arena.

The game, played before an announced crowd of 378, saw both teams endure significant offensive droughts. Charleston Southern’s struggles were particularly acute, as the Buccaneers managed only five points in the entire third quarter. That dry spell, combined with Gardner-Webb’s ability to convert turnovers into points, proved to be the difference.

Charleston Southern’s Tyonna Bailey, a guard from Newark, New Jersey, delivered a game-high 24 points in 38 minutes, but received little consistent support. The Buccaneers shot just 30.2% from the field and committed 19 turnovers, which Gardner-Webb converted into 27 points.

Gardner-Webb, which improved to 9-16 overall, was led by Amina Gray’s 15 points. Sara Menendez, a freshman from Castellon De La Plana, Spain, provided a crucial spark off the bench with 11 points, all in the second half, including three timely three-pointers.

The first half was a back-and-forth affair characterized by physical defense. Bailey kept Charleston Southern afloat early, scoring 14 of her points before halftime. The Buccaneers led 14-12 late in the first quarter before Gardner-Webb closed the period on a 4-0 run to take a 16-14 lead. The Runnin’ Bulldogs maintained a narrow advantage throughout the second quarter, heading into the locker room with a 28-25 lead.

The third quarter was where the game tilted decisively. Charleston Southern’s offense completely stalled, making just two field goals in the 10-minute period. Gardner-Webb’s defense tightened, forcing seven Buccaneer turnovers in the quarter while holding them to a scoring drought of over six minutes. Though the Runnin’ Bulldogs only scored 10 points themselves in the quarter, they extended their lead to 38-30, creating a cushion they would not relinquish.

The most important sequence of the game came early in the fourth quarter. After Charleston Southern’s Nevaeh Jones opened the period with a layup to cut the deficit to six, Gardner-Webb responded with a 13-2 run over the next four minutes that sealed the outcome. The run was fueled by the tandem of Gray and Menendez. Gray hit a three-pointer, and Menendez followed with back-to-back three-pointers, the second assisted by Nyla Walker, to push the lead to 44-34 with 7:35 remaining. The burst took the lead from a manageable six points to a commanding 12-point margin, from which the Buccaneers could not recover.

Charleston Southern, which fell to 8-17, made a late push with three-pointers from Alba Garcia and Asha Sra, but could not get the deficit below seven points in the final minutes. Sra, a guard from Fresno, California, finished with 10 points and four assists for the Buccaneers.

Gardner-Webb’s defense was the story, holding Charleston Southern to an offensive rating of just 68.5 points per 100 possessions. The Runnin’ Bulldogs also won the battle on the glass, securing 13 offensive rebounds to Charleston Southern’s 12, and dished out 10 assists to the Buccaneers’ six.

The victory completed a regular-season sweep for Gardner-Webb, which defeated Charleston Southern 52-45 on Jan. 17. According to Interstat’s ELO system, Gardner-Webb entered the game with a 64% probability to win.

Charleston Southern looks to rebound on Saturday when it travels to face High Point. Gardner-Webb continues its conference schedule on the road Saturday at Presbyterian.