GLENVILLE, W.Va- Tianni Kelly and company are headed back to the Sweet Sixteen for the second straight year after knocking off California University of Pennsylvania on Saturday night. The 34 points scored by Cal U would be the lowest scoring game by a Golden Eagle opponent all season.
Tournament Central
Box Score
Post Game
How it Happened
Charleston came into the game slow. They shot just 8.3 % from the field in the first quarter with the sole bucket coming from Trinity Palacio. The Vulcans notched 13 in the quarter and took a 13-2 lead at the sound of the horn.
The second quarter started much the same way as the first for the Golden Eagles. Tianni Kelly's team struggled to knock down shots outside and couldn't get a good roll down low. They would start to heat up late in the second quarter and hold strong on defense. They wouldn't allow a Vulcan basket after the 7:32 mark in the quarter, and they outscored their opponent by 13 points in the quarter and took a 17-15 lead heading into the locker room.
The Golden Eagles came out and played some lockdown defense. They allowed just six points in 20 minutes during the second and third quarters thanks to some great offensive and defensive rebounding by freshman Jamia Nesmith. Nesmith ended her night with 18 rebounds and 10 points for her first career double-double.
"I don't know, something just clicked." Nesmith said smiling, "My teammates have really just encouraged me all year and I'm just thankful to be able to play another game". Nesmith was a beast off the glass all night, picking up rebound after rebound and securing Golden Eagle possessions late in the contest.
The Golden Eagles didn't allow a 3PT FG in the entirety of the second and third quarter even as the Vulcans attempted 15 long range shots during that span. Cal U would also be held to just one made three in the fourth quarter.
By the end of the contest Charleston allowed just 12 FGs for the game, holding the Vulcans to just an abysmal .197 field goal percentage. The Golden Eagles knocked down just three long balls in the contest, a relatively low number for this sharpshooting team.
Coach Tianni Kelly commented on their first quarter struggles saying, "I just kept telling them 'It's a long game, we are gonna have to finish our shots', and we did what we were supposed to do."
The Golden Eagles await the winner of Shepherd and Glenville State. They will face off against the victor on Monday night at 7 p.m. with a chance to go to the Elite Eight for the second straight season with a win.
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