CHARLESTON, S.C. - It's time for Big South play as the Buccaneers are back on the court this weekend for the conference opener. Charleston Southern women's basketball makes the short trek up I-26 toward Spartanburg for a Saturday afternoon matchup against USC Upstate with tipoff set for 2 p.m. inside the G.B. Hodge Center.
 
The Bucs (2-7) are looking to put a tough non-conference slate behind them as they start Big South play. CSU built momentum heading into the Christmas break with back-to-back wins over Virginia University of Lynchburg and Columbia (S.C.), before falling in their final out-of-conference game of the 2019-201 season against College of Charleston.
 
Head Coach Fred Applin is hoping the tough non-conference slate that features five different opponents with winning records, including national powers Florida State and North Carolina, bode well heading into conference play. CSU utilized the tough non-conference schedule last season into a strong finish to the season as the Bucs advanced back to the conference tournament semifinals for the second time in the last three seasons.
 
CSU's offense and defensive efforts received a boost heading into the Christmas break as senior forward Tierra Steede made her 2019-20 debut on the court. The Marietta, Ga. native averaged 20.5 points on 59.3% (16-of-27) shooting against Columbia (S.C.) and CofC, while adding 6.0 rebounds per game, five steals, and a pair of blocked shots.
 
The strong showing by the senior forward adds to the development of sophomore Sharita Godfrey and juniors Carmella Walker and Kelsie Ruff as the Bucs now boast four players who can consistently get into double-digits scoring this season. Godfrey paces the Bucs overall with 11.2 points per game, while Walker is close behind at 10.9. Ruff put together a three-game stretch where she averaged 17.7 points per game to add a dynamic scoring presence at the wing.
 
CSU will also be looking to attack the glass with Godfrey (6.9) and Steede (6.0) leading the way downlow. Freshman Asia Smith has already claimed a Big South Freshman of the Week nod and is also adept in the paint sitting second on the Bucs with 15 offensive rebounds.
 
Defense has been CSU's calling card this season with the Bucs posting seven consecutive games with at least double-digit steals. Five different players have recorded at least 10 steals this season paced by Godfrey (18) and Walker (18). CSU has also been on a stretch with five consecutive games forcing opponents to cough up 20-plus turnovers.
 
USC Upstate (5-4) enters the contest on Saturday boasting an undefeated mark at home in the 2019-20 season. The Spartans have picked up all five wins inside the Hodge Center with Florida A&M, Western Carolina, Mars Hill College, S.C. State, and Bob Jones all falling inside the Spartans' home arena.
 
The Spartans have been on a nine-day hiatus between games since their 71-49 win over Bob Jones and enter the Saturday contest with a two-game winning streak having previously topped South Carolina State back on December 14. The two Power-5 opponents for the Spartans this season were road games at South Carolina and Georgia.
 
The USC Upstate offense runs through Brianna Lewis as the senior guard is averaging a team-high 14.3 points and 44 assists on the year. Quadijah Moore is the team's enforcer in the paint with a team-high 5.3 rebounds and 14 blocked shots to go with 9.4 points per game.
 
Up Next
Charleston Southern heads back to the Buccaneer Field House following the Saturday matchup as CSU welcomes Gardner-Webb for a New Year's Eve afternoon game against Gardner-Webb. Tipoff between the Bucs and the Runnin' Bulldogs is set for 3 p.m. on ESPN+.