ETSU women win fourth straight at Wofford

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — The East Tennessee State women's basketball team picked up its defensive intensity in the second half for their fourth straight win on Thursday night. ETSU rallied from a double-digit, first-half deficit to defeat Wofford 61-57 at the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium. The Lady Bucs evened their overall record at 11-11 and improved to 4-3 in the Southern Conference. The Lady Terriers fell to 11-11, 5-3. The Lady Bucs held the Lady Terriers to 23 second-half points, and their aggressive play was highlighted by a 46-18 advantage in points in the paint. It was a role reversal as Wofford rallied from 15 points down to win by the same 61-57 score in the teams' first meeting in Johnson City. Anala Nelson led ETSU with 17 points, including a pair of crucial free throws with 16 seconds left for a six-point lead. Jaidyn Harper produced a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds. Carmen Richardson, the Bucs' preseason All-Southern Conference guard, also finished in double figures with 11 points. Daniela Lopez contributed to a balanced attack with eight points. ETSU held a 42-27 rebounding advantage and scored seven more points off turnovers. The Lady Terriers set the early pace, and took a 19-11 lead at the end of one quarter. Meghan Downing picked up her third foul early in the second quarter, and Wofford maintained its lead, up 34-26 at halftime. ETSU used a 10-0 run to take its first lead, 36-34, in the third quarter. The Bucs held a 43-42 lead at the end of the third quarter as Wofford's Gabby Lundy made a shot at the buzzer. Lundy led the Lady Terriers with 18 points. She was the only Wofford player in double digits as leading scorer Queen Ikhiuwu was limited to eight points, despite Downing missing much of the game. Sophia Rueppell also had eight points in the loss. NEXT UP ETSU will look to extend its win streak on the road at Furman on Saturday 2 p.m. Wofford plays host to SoCon leader Chattanooga on Saturday at 1 p.m.