Davidson, N.C. – Carmella Walker and Sha'Mya Leigh paced Charleston Southern with 14 points apiece as the Buccaneers fell on the road to host Davidson University on Wednesday afternoon, 85-56.

Walker did a majority of her damage in the first half, while Leigh sparked CSU's (1-2) second-half comeback attempt as the Buccaneers shot a season-high 50.0% (10-of-20) from behind the three-point line in the loss. Alyssia Faye added a team-high 10 rebounds in the loss.

Cassidy Gould led Davidson (1-3) with a game-high 22 points, while Sarah Konstans added 14 points and 15 boards for the double-double as the Wildcats went up by as many as 31 on their way to securing the nonconference win.

First Quarter
Charleston Southern and Davidson swapped the lead early in the first quarter as the teams traded baskets over the first three minutes of the game. Sha'Mya Leigh gave the Bucs the 7-4 lead with a pull-up jumper at the 7:18 mark, before the Wildcats rallied back with a 5-0 run. CSU continued to fight late in the quarter with Carmella Walker's three-pointer giving the Bucs the 15-14 lead with 1:01 remaining in the period, but a pair of three-pointers from Katie Turner and Cassidy Gould gave the Wildcats the six-point swing and the five point lead at the break.

Second Quarter
The Bucs kept the margin at three points at the 8:22 mark thanks to Walker's second three-pointer of the contest putting the score at 23-20. Davidson steadily began pulling away behind a 10-0 run sparked by Chloe Welch's three-point play as the Wildcats scored 18 of the final 21 points of the half to go into the locker room with the double-digit lead.

Third Quarter
Sarah Konstans put the lead at 21 following her opening three-pointer as Davidson went up 44-23 with 9:11 remaining in the frame. Tori Gittens responded with five points for the Bucs to keep the margin at 19 early in the quarter. CSU continued fighting their way back into the game late in the quarter with Janaia Fargo, Walker, and Leigh combining to score seven of the period's final 10 points and cutting the deficit down to 61-43.

Fourth Quarter
Davidson continued to keep the pressure on the Bucs in the fourth quarter as the Wildcats went up 31 points following a Gould layup at the 4:07 mark to put the score at 77-46. CSU managed to cut the lead down to 24 following a Gittens' three-pointer at the 1:28 mark, but that was as close as the Bucs could get the rest of the way in falling on the road to Davidson.

CSU Key Players

• Carmella Walker – 14 points, 3-of-6 shooting, 2-of-2 3PT, 6-of-6 FT, five rebounds
• Sha'Mya Leigh – 14 points, 4-of-9 shooting, 3-of-4 3PT, two steals, two blocks
• Alyssia Faye – Three points, 10 rebounds, two assists
• Tori Gittens – Eight points, 2-of-5 3PT, 2-of-2 FT

Team Statistics of Note

• Charleston Southern shot 32.0% (16-of-50) from the floor and 50.0% (10-of-20) from the three-point line in the loss.
• The Bucs went 14-of-20 (70.0%) from the free throw line as a team paced by perfect days from Walker (6-of-6) and Gittens (2-of-2).
• Davidson shot 43.7% (31-of-71) from the floor and 40.0% (14-of-35) from the three-point line in the win.
• The Wildcats held the 32-6 edge on points in the paint and 16-8 edge in points off turnovers.
• Davidson narrowly held the 18-16 edge in bench scoring in the contest.
• The Wildcats held the 49-27 rebounding advantage.

News & Notes

• The Bucs ran out the starting lineup of Sharita Godfrey, Faye, Walker, Leigh, and Fargo for the third time in the 2020-21 season.
• Walker recorded her first double-digit scoring game of the season and team-leading 16th career game in double figures.
• Leigh was in double-digits for the second time on the year and fourth of her career.
• The Bucs fell to 0-5 all-time against Davidson in the series dating back to the inaugural contest in 1992-93.
• Alyssia Faye's double-digit scoring streak came to an end at two games, but the junior forward recorded her first double-digit rebounding game in the loss.

Up Next
Charleston Southern is back at home in the Buccaneer Field House on Sunday, December 13, with a 3 p.m. tipoff scheduled against Western Carolina. The game will be carried live on ESPN+.