Charleston Southern University Athletics
6-9
Trinity Baptist
1-4
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trinity Baptist | 19 | 28 | 47 |
| Charleston So. | 56 | 45 | 101 |
Buccaneers run away from Trinity Baptist, 101-47
1/16/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
CHARLESTON, S.C. - Charleston Southern scored the first 14 points of the contest as the Buccaneers ran away from visiting Trinity Baptist in non-conference action inside the Buc Dome on Thursday night with the 101-47 victory over the Eagles.
The Buccaneers were led by reigning Big South Player of the Week Erin Bratcher's 16 points, while Tatum Jarvis, Kirklin Kirkpatrick and Erin LaVenice were also in double-digits on the night as all 14 CSU players who got on the court scored in the game.
"I really challenged the team to play as one and give God the glory for everything they do," commented head coach Fred Applin following the game. "We've got to use the talents he has given us, work hard, and give it all back to him. That is what we preach and that is what we are trying to accomplish."
"It was tricky having a non-conference game in the middle of our conference season," senior guard Erin Bratcher had to say. "But it is a good challenge for us. It can be challenging because you are focused on teams you know and your familiar with [in conference], then you play this team in the middle of your season that you don't know much about. But it is good for us because it shows us areas of our game we need to work on for Coastal on Saturday. It was cool to see some of the other girls get out there tonight. They work just as hard as we do and bring it every day in practice. It is cool to see them rewarded like that. It's awesome for them to get to show everyone that they are talented players too."
CSU's win improves the Buccaneers record to 7-9 overall on the season and is Charleston Southern's third win in a row, following last week's victories over Campbell and High Point.
Bratcher led the way with 16 points, going 6-for-10 from the floor in the game as Charleston Southern posted a 50.7 percent shooting percentage as a team, 45.8 percent from the three-point line in the win. Jarvis and LaVenice finished with 13 points apiece, while Kirkpatrick connected on four of CSU's 11 three-pointers on the night to finish with 12 points in the game.
"We have enough talent and ability to win, and whether we win or lose, we are going to give glory to God," Applin closed out with. "We are really coming together. We are playing well, working hard, and have been executing really well."
Charleston Southern set the tone from the opening tipoff, racing out to a 14-0 lead while holding Trinity Baptist scoreless until the 16:44 mark. Bratcher recorded the Bucs' first field goal on a layup off a pretty pass from Anicia Dotson, as CSU continually got the ball inside against the Eagles.
DJ Fowler also provided a highlight during the opening sequence, stealing a Trinity pass and taking it coast to coast for a layup while being fouled. Fowler's basket pushed the Bucs ahead 8-0 and then Monique Maximilien capped the starting surge with six straight points. Maximilien first connected on a turn-around jumper from the baseline, before tallying a layup and a stick back to stake CSU to a 14-0 advantage.
CSU did not slow down from there, as a pair of threes by Bratcher and one by freshman Jarvis upped the margin to 27-2 with 14:46 left in the first half. Bratcher converted a fast break bucket shortly after, and found Christal Barnett for two off dribble penetration to advance the CSU lead to 31-4. Jarvis knocked down her second three of the contest on the following possession, enabling the Bucs to take a 30 point advantage with still 12:06 remaining in the opening stanza.
CSU's lead would stretch as large as 41 on Jarvis' third triple of the half, this one from the right corner, before Trinity scored the final four points of the stanza to make the score 56-19 at intermission. Brianna Lakes gave the Bucs a lift off the bench and delighted her teammates on it with four points, two of which came on an end-to-end drive after a steal in the half court.
Kirkpatrick poured in 12 second half points, connecting on four three-pointers after the break, while LaVenice added 10 points of her own over the final 20 minutes as the Buccaneers went up by as many as 52 points before Marley Brown connected on the final basket with a three-pointer from the right corner, sealing the CSU victory.
LaVenice nearly completed her first collegiate double-double on the night with nine rebounds, and the former Buccaneer volleyball standout added three blocked shots and two assists to her totals on the night as Charleston Southern posted the 58-40 edge on the glass and 48-12 edge inside the paint.
Maximilien set a new career high with nine points in the game in the win, while the CSU bench outscored Trinity Baptist 64-14 in the contest in closing out the victory.
Charleston Southern is back in action this weekend as the Buccaneers return to Big South play as CSU hosts Coastal Carolina in the first part of a doubleheader inside the Buc Dome. Tipoff between CSU and the Chanticleers is set for 2 p.m., while the Bucs' men's basketball team takes on UNC Asheville in the nightcap scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
