CHARLESTON, S.C. - Charleston Southern defeated the Panthers of High Point at a score of 80-72. The victory brings the Bucs' record to 10-11 overall record (4-4, BSC) and drops the Panthers' record to 10-11 (4-4, BSC).

Charleston Southern started off on the right foot by hitting on their first five attempts from deep jumping out to a quick 17-8 lead.

Leading the Buccaneers on the night was Kelsey Wasmer and Katie Tull with 26 points apiece. The pair of seniors scored an incredible 24 of the Bucs' first 26 points on the night.

In addition to their good early shooting on offense the Bucs were also playing well on defense, communicating well on switches to deter the Panthers' motion offense from being effective.

Tull was also shooting well. She had nine points in the first six minutes, she also picked up two quick fouls in the process sending her to the bench. Tull going to the bench contributed to the Bucs shooting touch going cold.

HPU took their first lead of the night at the 7:32 mark. They would proceed to go on a 10-0 run to further bolster their lead.

The teams went into the locker room with High Point in front at a score of 40-33.

Early in the second half, Charleston Southern switched to an extended 3-2 zone catching HPU off guard. That adjustment was the catalyst for a quick 6-0 run to retake the lead with 13:30 left to play.

CSU would push their lead to as many as 12 points, but High Point began to assert themselves on the offensive glass earning second chance points bringing

With two minutes remaining Charleston Southern clung to a two-point lead, but key plays by Wasmer and Lakeitha Alston would help the Bucs outscore the Panthers 6-0 in the last two minutes to keep the Panthers at bay and take the win.

High Point battled through foul trouble all night with four key players with four fouls at one point.

The Panthers of HPU had no answer for the size and strength of Wasmer throughout the night. She had 13 points in the first half alone and tallied her fifth double-double of the season with 26 points and 12 rebounds on the night. Not to be outdone, Tull equaled her scoring total with 26 points.

Playing huge minutes tonight for the Buccaneers was junior forward Danielle Gibson. Her toughness inside helped negate the Panthers' decided size advantage. She scored a career high nine points and pulled down five boards for Charleston Southern.

The win puts CSU into a tie with High Point for fourth place in the Big South conference.

Charleston Southern will return to action this Saturday when they take the floor against Gardner-Webb who is presently in third place in the conference standings. Game time is set for 2 p.m. for that game and will serve as the first game of a double-header in the Buc Dome with the men taking on Liberty.

Saturday's contest will serve as the Annual WBCA Pink Zone game to promote breast cancer awareness. Come and wear pink, and support the Buccaneers and a worthy cause.

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