CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Jacy Bradley scored 14 of her 16 points during a furious second-half rally, and Morgan Johnson tallied a career-high 11 points in Saint Louis' 61-52 Atlantic 10 Conference loss to Charlotte Wednesday night at Halton Arena.

The Billikens fell to 6-11 overall and 0-2 in the A-10, while Charlotte improved to 10-6, 2-0 with its fourth consecutive victory.

"We have to be the toughest, grittiest 6-11 team in the nation," head coach Shimmy Gray-Miller said. "We didn't give up, we competed and we believed we would win this game until the very end."

Bradley's 16 points came on 7-of-15 shooting that included a 2-of-2 effort from 3-point range. Johnson netted nine of her 11 points from beyond the arc (3-of-5).

With 1:23 to play and the Billikens trailing by nine, Bradley had to leave the floor after contact with a Charlotte defender.

"Jacy was having one of the best games of her career before she had to come out," Gray-Miller said. "Not knowing her status, her teammates will have to be ready to step up their performances on Saturday at St. Bonaventure.

"Morgan played very well tonight," Gray-Miller said. "She is developing into the player we thought she could be when we signed her."

Desirae Ball, Mallory Eggert and Lorreal Jones collected six rebounds apiece to lead SLU's effort on the boards. Ball's total tied her career high. Kim Bee led the Bills with a career-high three steals.

Charlotte's Epiphany Woodson hit four 3-pointers and scored a game-high 21 points, and Jennifer Hailey tossed in 13 points to go with a game-high nine rebounds.

The 49ers won the battle of the boards 44-34, marking only the second time this season that the Billikens have been outrebounded.

"We knew that rebounding would be an issue in this game," Gray-Miller said. "We're disappointed in our effort to keep the bigger Charlotte post players off the glass."

The Billikens began the second half with a 10-4 run to pull to within a point. Jones drove and hit a short bank shot, Janisha Gearlds made a layup and Ball connected on a baseline jumper on SLU's first four possessions. Bradley netted a jumper from the right wing, and Ball's baseline drive for a layup made it 32-31 Charlotte.

The 49ers scored the next four points before a Johnson triple from the right corner cut the Charlotte lead to 36-34. Charlotte took advantage of two Saint Louis turnovers by scoring two buckets to claim a 40-34 advantage.

The second 49ers' field goal began a streak of eight consecutive possessions in which the teams produced points. Jenna Mueller banked in a tough shot from the low block, Courtney Webb found the mark with a spinner in the lane, and Bradley hit a floater and a baseline jumper. Woodson countered with a jumper and two treys.

A Charlotte turnover broke the scoring streak, and the Bills capitalized when Bradley rang up a 3-pointer to slice the SLU deficit to 48-45. Bradley later made a driving bank shot to make it a three-point game again, 50-47, with 6:49 remaining.

The Billikens suffered eight straight empty possessions after that, however, and saw the 49ers build their lead to 57-47 at the 3:07 mark. Bradley's trey with 1:52 left kept the Saint Louis hopes alive, but the Billikens would draw no closer.

After SLU took a 5-2 lead, Charlotte used a 10-0 run to go on top 12-5. Johnson buried a 3-pointer from the left wing, but Charlotte scored the next five points for a 17-8 lead.

Bradley hit a pull-up jumper and Johnson sank two free throws on consecutive possessions to narrow the Charlotte advantage to 17-12 before the 49ers scored five straight points to take their first double-digit lead, 22-12.

Charlotte later led by 12 points twice, the second time a 28-16 cushion with 2:23 to play. The Bills finished the half strongly, however, as Gearlds hit a short bank shot and Johnson drilled another trey from the left wing to cut the Charlotte lead to 28-21 at the break.

Saint Louis continues its road trip with an A-10 contest at St. Bonaventure Saturday, Jan. 14. Tip time is noon (CT).