Charleston Southern University Athletics
2-1
Warner
2-4
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warner | 4 | 17 | 21 | 11 | 53 |
| Charleston So. | 12 | 24 | 20 | 17 | 73 |
Maximilien's double-double powers Buccaneers past Warner, 73-53
11/19/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
CHARLESTON, S.C. - Monique Maximilien recorded her first double-double of the 2015-16 season as Charleston Southern topped visiting Warner University on Thursday night in the Buc Dome, 73-53.
Maximilien recorded the second double-double of her collegiate career as the senior center led all players with 14 points and 10 rebounds to pace the Bucs (2-1) to the 20-point victory.
"Mo has done a really good job; she has improved a lot in her time here," said CSU head coach Fred Applin. "She is playing with a lot of confidence. That comes from her attitude and her willingness to work every day. We wanted to establish someone in the post on offense tonight and I think we did that and she really set the tone for us. Mo is a kid who has really stepped up. I've challenged her a lot and she has responded really well."
Maximilien's efforts on the glass helped lead the Bucs to a 44-36 rebounding advantage for CSU. Breanna Saunders added 13 points and eight rebounds off the bench, while Alecia Hardy finished with six rebounds in the win.
The Bucs' full-court pressure defense caused 23 turnovers and led to 15 CSU steals paced by Hardy's four thefts. The sophomore guard finished the night with 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the floor.
Alyssa Mann was also in double-digits for the Bucs with 12 points and a team-high four assists. The senior guard was also a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line to cap a 17-for-25 team effort from the stripe in the game.
"I am happy with the win tonight," Applin commented. "We had to execute some things that we've been working on. I want us to be solid on offense and on some of the defensive things we've worked on. I think I saw a lot of things we did right tonight. But we have to continue to work on getting better every single day."
The Buccaneers continue their four game home stand on Monday night as Wofford comes to the Buc Dome. Tipoff between the Bucs and the Terriers on the Big South Network is set for 6:30 p.m.
"We've got some film on [Wofford] we can look at," said Applin. "They've got a few games this season we can look and see what they want to do. We can look at last year's tape as well and see some things we were successful in doing against them. They are a solid team and really well coached. We just need to come out, play hard, and execute our game plan."
The CSU defense carried the Bucs through the first period against the visiting Royals as CSU took the early 12-4 lead after 10 minutes of play. Maximilien led the Bucs with four points and a pair of blocked shots during the stretch as CSU held Warner to an 18.2% team field goal percentage in the period.
A 10-0 run midway through the second period put the game firmly in CSU's hands after Warner cut the game back to within one. The Royals rallied behind back-to-back three-pointers from I'munique Green and Baylie Bridges at the 6:48 mark to narrow the margin down to 18-17 before Mann stopped the Warner run with a triple from the top of the key.
With the Bucs leading 26-19 with 4:30 left in the half, Ke'Asia Jackson sparked a CSU run with a free throw, while Shauntavia Dobson and Rachel Burns both connected on three-points as the Bucs went on a 10-0 run on their way to building the 36-21 halftime lead.
CSU's lead reached 20 points midway through the third period on a Hardy layup at the 4:53 mark and again at the 2:12 mark following a pair of Burns' free throws. However, Warner closed out the period on a 7-0 run to send the teams into the fourth with the Bucs leading 56-42.
Warner cut the deficit down to 11 points following a Kaley Schmick three-pointer at the 8:01 mark, but that was as close as the Royals were able to come as Saunders scored seven points over the final three minutes to put the game away.
