CHARLESTON, S.C. - It's a short turnaround time for Charleston Southern as the Buccaneers women's basketball team welcomes USC Upstate to the Buccaneer Field House on Tuesday afternoon for a Big South matchup. Tipoff between the Bucs and the Spartans is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN+.
It's a rematch of the Big South opener for both teams as Charleston Southern (3-19, 1-12 Big South) made the trip to the G.B. Hodge Center in Spartanburg, S.C. back on December 28. The Spartans (7-15, 2-11 Big South) utilized a 13-0 run over the third and fourth quarters to help Upstate pull away from the Bucs in the first matchup prior to the New Year.
Ahlea Myers posted a season-high 16 points as the sophomore guard hit 4-of-7 three-pointers from the field on her way to pacing the Bucs in the loss.
Tori Gittens added a trio of three-pointers in the first half on her way to posting a season-high 11 points, while
Tierra Steede had nine points and five rebounds for CSU.
Brianna Lewis paced all scorers in leading the Spartans to the Big South opening win for USC Upstate. The senior guard was 7-of-14 from the floor and 9-of-10 from the free throw line in her 24-point performance, while Barrett Herring (13) and Michaela Gibbons (12) were also in double-digits for the Spartans.
Both teams have struggled in Big South play since the opener with the Bucs picking up their lone win over UNC Asheville back on January 14. Since then, it's been a streak of seven consecutive losses as CSU continues to battle their way through the season with a mostly young and unproven squad.
USC Upstate has shown signs of life recently as the Spartans snapped a 10-game losing streak on February 4 with a 70-60 win over Presbyterian at home. The victory followed a double-overtime loss to Big South leader Campbell on February 1 as Upstate looks to gain momentum heading into the final stretch of the regular season.
CSU is looking to bounce back after a difficult game against Radford this past weekend inside the Buccaneer Field House. CSU's fourth-quarter fireworks were not enough to bring the Buccaneers back into the game on Saturday afternoon as CSU fell to visiting Radford in Big South play, 64-40.
CSU rallied in the fourth quarter behind
Tierra Steede's 10-point frame as the Buccaneers outpaced their scoring through the first three quarters over the final 10 minutes.
Tyra Wright chipped in eight points on 3-of-5 shooting in the quarter as the Bucs outscored the Highlanders 16-8 in the paint late in the contest.
Radford utilized a 19-point halftime advantage on their way to cruising to the Big South sweep with their second win over the Bucs this season. The Highlanders shot 32.8% from the floor as a team in picking up the win.
The Spartans are also coming off a loss as they enter the Tuesday night matchup. Brianna Lewis led Upstate with a team-high 17 points in the game, but the Spartans were unable to overcome a High Point three-point barrage as the Panthers converted 16 in the contest to record the 81-45 victory.
Tierra Steede is the lone Buccaneer averaging double-digits scoring for the Bucs this year with 10.4 points per game, while also leading CSU with 6.9 rebounds per contest and 19 blocked shots.
Carmella Walker has started all 22 games for CSU and is averaging 9.8 points per game, while leading the Bucs with 48 steals.
Sharita Godfrey is averaging 9.2 poitnsa nd 5.8 rebounds per game to sit among CSU's leaders in the categories this season.
Tori Gittens is the three-point threat with 22 conversions on the year, while
Sha'Mya Leigh leads the Bucs with 47 assists.
USC Upstate is led by Brianna Lewis' 14.4 points per game and 86 assists on the year. Barrett Herring is second on the team with 8.6 points, while posting 5.5 rebounds per game and 28 blocked shots.
Up Next
CSU is back on the road on Saturday afternoon as the Buccaneers make the trip to Clinton, S.C. and the Templeton Center to take on Presbyterian College. Tipoff between the Bucs and the Blue Hose is set for 2 p.m. on ESPN+.
