VALDOSTA, Ga. - A furious third quarter comeback helped the Columbus State University women's basketball team secure a 60-57 victory over Eckerd Friday evening in Valdosta, Ga. The game was a part of the Valdosta State Thanksgiving Classic in The Complex. 

Down 44-33 with 4:14 left to play in the third quarter, the Lady Cougars would turn up the intensity. CSU scored the final 13 points over the quarter to go into the fourth up 46-44. Eckerd wouldn't go away in the final period, including taking an one-point advantage, but the Lady Cougars showed their resiliency to grab the victory. 

"This was a fantastic college basketball game tonight," commented head coach Matt Houser. "Everyone on the roster did their jobs, and this is a super win for this team. We knew coming into the game that Eckerd was one of the top offensive teams in the nation, but our defense was up for the challenge."

Taya Gibson carried the load on the offensive end for Columbus State. The junior was the only player who scored in double figures with a game-high 21 points. She was 10-for-17 from the floor and grabbed four rebounds. Jurnee Smith added six points and six rebounds while Kaihla Carter had four assists.

As a team, Columbus State shot 46.9 percent (23-for-49) from the field but was 2-of-11 on its 3-point shot attempts. At the free throw line, the Lady Cougars were 12-for-16.

Columbus State will be right back in action on Saturday taking on tournament hosts Valdosta State. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. inside The Complex.
 

Play-by-Play

First Half

The opening half was tight from the tip as Eckerd raced out to an early 9-4 lead thanks to seven consecutive points by the Tritons. The lead would remain at five until the 2:03 mark as a Gibson layup started a personal 7-2 run by the Lady Cougar forward that tied the game at 13 by the end of the first quarter. In the second, Chrisalyn Boston scored the opening bucket to give CSU its first lead since holding a 4-2 margin early in the contest. However, neither side was able to find breathing room as the score changed hands six times in the second quarter alone. A pair of free throws in the final seconds gave the Tritons a 29-27 halftime lead.

Second Half

Each team owned a portion of the third quarter beginning with Eckerd. In a 32-31 game, the Tritons would open up the largest lead of the contest by going on a 12-2 run to move in front 44-33 with 4:14 showing on the clock. The Lady Cougars would quickly counter back with an attack of their own. Over the final 3:16 of the period, Columbus State outscored Eckerd 13-0 with four players scoring in the spurt. Gibson was able to put the Lady Cougars ahead 46-44 with a layup at the buzzer. Columbus State would continue to turn up the heat defensively in the fourth quarter not allowing Eckerd any good open looks. CSU looked to be inching away following a Valeria Merlos 3-pointer which made it a 51-46 game. However, Eckerd had one final push left. The Tritons scored six quick points to move back ahead 52-51 with just over four minutes to play. The Lady Cougars wouldn't stay behind for long though. On the next trip down the court, a Gibson second-chance layup effort gave CSU the lead once again. Over the final two minutes, CSU thwarted the Eckerd attack by forcing three turnovers while Carter was 5-of-6 from the free throw line to ice the victory for the Lady Cougars.

 

Inside the Numbers

• Columbus State handed Eckerd its first loss of the season with the win. CSU remains perfect and moves to 4-0. • It's the first 4-0 start for the Lady Cougars since the 2016-17 season. That year, Columbus State finished with a 31-2 record. • Columbus State forced a season-high 27 turnovers. CSU has collected at least 20 turnovers in each of the previous three games. • The Lady Cougars shot a season-best 75 percent (12-for-16) from the free throw line. Their previous high was 55 percent against Fort Valley State.  • Taya Gibson has now scored over 20 points on two occasions in her career.  • Eckerd won the rebounding margin 30-27. It's the first time this season that Columbus State has lost the battle on the glass. • It was the first-ever meeting between Columbus State and the Tritons.