CHARLESTON, S.C. – Charleston Southern women's basketball closes its two-game road trip Friday afternoon with its second game against an SEC opponent this season, as the Bucs face Auburn at 1 p.m. eastern time (noon central time).
 
Game Details
Friday, November 26
Charleston Southern (0-3) at Auburn (2-3)
1 p.m. * Auburn, Ala. * Auburn Arena * Live Stats * Watch
Game Notes: Charleston Southern | Auburn
 
Last Time Out
Sha'Mya Leigh and Tori Gittens scored in double-figures Saturday afternoon, but Western Carolina used a strong second quarter to defeat Charleston Southern, 74-48, inside the Ramsey Center.
 
Leigh finished with a season-high 11, while Gittens had 10. It was the second straight game that Leigh and Gittens finished in double-figures. Gittens led the Bucs with four rebounds, while four different CSU players had two steals each.
 
New Year, New Look
Charleston Southern enters a new era of women's basketball, with Clarisse Garcia beginning her first season as head coach. In addition to Garcia, the entire coaching staff, consisting of Stephanie Stoglin-Reed, Ashley Jones and Jordan Kyles, all enters year one in the Lowcountry.
 
With a new staff comes a new system, and the Bucs have embraced a style of play that Garcia has described as "fast, fun and fierce." CSU will also feature five newcomers on its roster this season in freshmen Skylar Baltezegar, Jordan Rogers and Madison Adamson, and transfers Victoria Dames and Zaire Hicks.
 
Veteran Presence
CSU returns four of its five starters from last season, including nearly all of its offensive production from the 2020-21 team. Alyssia Faye was the Bucs' leading scorer and rebounder last season, ranking inside the top 15 in the Big South in both scoring and rebounding at 11.9 points and 7.1 boards per game.
 
Sharita Godfrey is also back for her senior season after finishing third on the team in scoring (9.6 points per game) and second in rebounding (5.3 rebounds per game), while leading the team in 3-point percentage at 44.0 percent from beyond the arc.
 
Janaia Fargo, Sha'Mya Leigh and Makenna Winans all spent time in the starting rotation last season, and all three are back this season and expected to play significant roles within the CSU lineup.
 
The starting five in CSU's season opener at Alabama and in their most recent game at Western Carolina consisted of two seniors (Godfrey, Faye), two juniors (Gittens, Leigh) and a freshman (Adamson). Godfrey, Gittens, Leigh and Adamson were joined by Skylar Baltezegar in the starting lineup against George Mason.
 
Give Her Three
Sha'Mya Leigh hit a season-best three 3-pointers in Saturday's game at Western Carolina. The three treys were the most by a Buccaneer player in any game this season.
 
Leigh currently leads the team with 1.7 made triples per game. She has also led the team in scoring in two of the Bucs' first three games this season.
 
Light it Up
Tori Gittens had a career-high 18 points and seven made field goals in Charleston Southern's home opener against George Mason. 11 of Gittens' 18 points came in the second half, while she also knocked down a pair of 3-pointers against the Patriots.
 
Gittens currently leads the team in scoring at 11.0 points per game and has scored in double-figures in each of the last two games.
 
Deadeye
Sharita Godfrey had a shooting percentage under 30 percent from beyond the arc prior to the 2020-21 season, but that changed quickly.
 
Godfrey emerged as the top 3-point weapon for the Buccaneers last season, making a career-best 37 3-pointers while shooting a team-leading 44.0 percent from long range.
 
Chasing the Pack
Charleston Southern was picked to finish last in the Big South Preseason Poll, which was voted on by the head coaches in the conference. The Buccaneers received 18 points in the poll.
 
Return to The Plains
Charleston Southern head coach Clarisse Garcia makes her return to Auburn Friday afternoon. Garcia spent the last five seasons as an assistant coach for the Tigers, a span which included a pair of appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
 
Scouting Auburn
Auburn enters Friday's contest at 2-3 overall. The Tigers had a two-game win streak snapped in their last contest, a 57-49 loss on the road at Little Rock
 
Similar to CSU, Auburn is entering a new era of basketball, with Johnnie Harris in her first season as head coach of the Tigers. Harris spent the past nine season on Vic Schaefer's staffs, first at Mississippi State and most recently at Texas.
 
Series Breakdown
Saturday's game marks the fourth all-time meeting between the Buccaneers and Tigers, and the first game between the schools since the 2001-02 season.
 
Auburn has a 3-0 advantage in the all-time series, with all three games being played on The Plains. The Tigers won 67-52 in the last meeting between the teams, which was in November 2001.
 
Coming Up on the Schedule
Charleston Southern returns home to face Belmont Abbey Monday at 6 p.m. The game is the first of two consecutive home games for the Bucs.
 
Charleston Southern's Next Five Games

• November 29 vs. Belmont Abbey
• December 2 vs. College of Charleston
• December 5 at Florida State
• December 16 vs. Furman
• December 18 vs. South Alabama (in Atlanta – Georgia State Holiday Classic)

 
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