CHARLESTON, S.C. - The Charleston Southern men's basketball team pulled away with a 61-22 second-half outburst for a 106-61 win over Milligan Saturday, Dec. 11 at CSU Field House. CSU received 27 points from Jamarco Warren and a double-double by Kelvin Martin. The Bucs led by six points at halftime, and outscored the Buffaloes by 39 over the final 20 minutes to provide the final 45-point margin.

CSU ended a frenetic first half with an 11-2 run in the closing minutes to take a 45-39 lead at halftime. It was all Charleston Southern after the break, as the team quickly stretched the lead into double-digits and never looked back.

Charleston Southern (5-5 overall) shot 55.2 percent from the field for the game, and went 26-for-32 from the foul line. The Buffaloes (3-8 overall) cooled off during the second half and shot 41.5 percent overall. MC went 15-of-21 (71.4%) from the line. CSU out-rebounded Milligan, 45-25, on the afternoon, and committed just nine turnovers. The Buffaloes faced foul trouble, as three Milligan starters fouled out of the contest.

Warren paced five Bucs in double-figures with 27 points and added six assists and five steals. He shot 8-for-13 from the field, sinking three triples. Warren moved into a tie for third place all-time at CSU with 1,557 career points. Martin recorded his second double-double in a row with 14 points and a season-high-tying 14 rebounds.

Zimmy Nwogbo netted 13 points, shooting 5-of-5. Sheldon Strickland scored 12 and Jeremy Sexton added 10.

For Milligan, Hudson Fricke and Tyler DeVault split high-scoring honors with 13 points each. Kyle Grisby contributed 11 points to the Buffaloes.

The Buccaneers and Buffaloes went back-and-forth for a majority of the first half. Trailing by two midway through the session, a 4-0 Buffaloes rally gave the visitors a 22-20 advantage at the 8:55 mark. Following a CSU equalizer, Milligan went on a 6-0 run, receiving transition baskets from Justin Sylvester and Marshall Hardy. CSU pulled to within two points at 28-26, as Strickland and Sexton recorded layups. A Fricke three-pointer extended the advantage to five, 31-26, with 6:43 to go before halftime.

CSU responded with an 8-0 run over the next three minutes to edge into a 34-31 lead, making good on free throw attempts and capitalizing on Milligan turnovers. Warren recorded four points during the run, while Martin and Sexton added two free throws apiece. The Buffaloes stopped the skein with a 5-0 run, capped by a DeVault three-point play which give his team a 36-34 lead with 3:11 remaining.

Warren answered with a three-pointer for a 37-36 CSU edge. Grisby sank a pair of foul shots and MC led, 38-37, with 2:10 showing on the first-half clock. Martin made a layup and the ensuing foul shot for a 40-38 lead. A Warren three-pointer provided the halftime score, 45-39.

Milligan shot 59.3 percent from the field during the first half, but committed 11 turnovers to CSU's seven. The Bucs earned 18 free-throw attempts, converting 14, while Milligan went 6-of-7 from the charity stripe.

The Buccaneers scored the first seven points of the second half, as Martin notched a three-point play and a putback and Warren added a basket for a 52-39 lead. Fricke connected for the Buffaloes' first field goal of the second session, slicing the deficit to 11 at 52-41 with 16:39 on the clock. Bryant Edwards followed a Warren layup with a three-pointer, drawing Milligan to within 10 points at 54-44 with 15:19 left.

The Buccaneers' margin hovered around 20 points midway through the second half, as they led 73-54 with 9:09 left. CSU outscored Milligan 33-7 over the final nine minutes to extend the lead to 45 by the end of the game, making the final score 106-61.

The Buccaneers will next be in action Wednesday, Dec. 15, taking on city rival College of Charleston at 7:30 p.m., with the game being contested at North Charleston Coliseum. CSU will challenge for the city championship, having defeated The Citadel Nov. 16 at the Buc Dome.

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