CHARLESTON, S.C. - Saturday marks the first rematch in Big South Conference play for the Charleston Southern women's basketball team as the Buccaneers make the trip to Paul Porter Arena and Boiling Springs, N.C. The Bucs and Runnin' Bulldogs tipoff on February 1 at 2 p.m. on ESPN+.

The Runnin' Bulldogs took the first matchup between the two teams back on December 31 as Gardner-Webb held onto the 79-52 road victory inside the Buccaneer Field House.

CSU (3-16, 1-9 Big South) was unable to overcome the fast start by GWU (10-9, 5-5 Big South) in the Bucs' conference home opener. GWU jumped ahead early with an 11-0 run as the Runnin' Bulldogs took advantage of opportunistic rebounding and a big performance from Carley Plentovich in the win.

CSU fought back within striking distance on several occasions behind Tierra Steede's 14-point, 11-rebound double-double, but The Bucs were unable to sustain their run in the losing effort.

The Bucs enter the weekend contest coming off a difficult loss this past Tuesday night against Presbyterian. PC utilized a double-digit point swing early in the second quarter with a 21-2 stretch in taking control of the game early in the eventual 67-46 CSU loss.

Steede posted her third double-double of the season against the Blue Hose with 12 points and 11 rebounds over a 24-minute span in the game. Sharita Godfrey added eight points and a pair of steals, while Tori Gittens chipped in nine points and an assist off the bench.

Gardner-Webb is coming off a key Big South win on Tuesday night as the Runnin' Bulldogs took the home 70-57 win over High Point. Carley Plentovich scored 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-4 from long distance in the GWU win.
Steede leads CSU's scoring and rebounding efforts on the year with 11.3 points and 7.1 rebounds per game on the season. She also paces the Bucs with 15 blocked shots on the year.

Carmella Walker (10.6) and Godfrey (10.1) are also averaging double-digit points per game on the season. Walker paces the Bucs' steals (37) and free throw percentage (78.8%) efforts, while Godfrey is second on the team with 5.8 rebounds per game and has connected on a team-high 19 three-pointers.

Sha'Mya Leigh, Gittens, and Kelsie Ruff have also been among the Bucs highlighted this season. Ruff posted a trio of double-digit scoring efforts early this season, while Gittens has been one of the team's top three-point threats on the year. Leigh has started 17 of the Bucs' 19 games this season at guard and leads CSU with 43 assists.

Gardner-Webb continues to rely on the leadership from the Plentovichs this season. Carley paces the Runnin' Bulldogs with a team-high 14.3 points per game and 44 three-pointers on the year, while Savannah is averaging 11.8 points per contest, while posting a team-high 61 assists and 40 steals. Jhessyka Williams (5.7) and Gabrielle Caponegro (5.5) are the team's rebounding leaders.

The Runnin' Bulldogs sit tied for seventh overall in the conference standings at the midway point of the conference schedule. GWU picked up key wins over Winthrop, UNC Asheville, and High Point among their early conference victories. The Runnin' Bulldogs also boast a 6-3 record overall at home this season.

Up Next
Charleston Southern remains on the road next week as the Buccaneers make the trip to the WU Coliseum on Tuesday, February 4, in Rock Hill, S.C. at Winthrop University. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN+.