CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Salem University women's basketball team battled through four quarters but came up short in a 57–44 road loss to Charleston on Saturday afternoon at H. Bernard Wehrle Arena.

Salem stayed within striking distance for much of the contest, trailing just 23–22 at halftime after a competitive first half that featured eight ties and frequent lead changes. The Tigers were able to keep pace early behind balanced scoring and defensive effort, holding Charleston to 31.3 percent shooting in the opening quarter.

Junior forward Meilin Guo led Salem offensively, finishing with a team-high 14 points on 7-of-15 shooting while adding two rebounds in 25 minutes of action. Batoul Khaleefah contributed nine points and five rebounds, while Selena Frost chipped in eight points, knocking down three free throws and a three-pointer.

Charleston began to create separation in the third quarter, outscoring Salem 15–12, and continued to pull away in the final period with a strong shooting performance. The Golden Eagles finished the game shooting 41.7 percent from the field and held a 45–31 advantage on the boards.

Salem struggled from the floor overall, shooting 29.8 percent, but showed resilience by forcing 24 Charleston turnovers and converting 13 points off turnovers. The Tigers also held an edge in fast-break scoring, 6–2.

Despite the loss, Salem continued to compete on the defensive end and limited Charleston's perimeter efficiency for much of the game. The Tigers will look to build on that effort as they continue their season.