CHARLESTON, S.C. – Three Charleston Southern starters reached double-digit scoring but a third-quarter breakout by visiting Furman was the difference Thursday evening, as the Buccaneers women's basketball team dropped an 86-68 decision to the Paladins inside Buccaneer Fieldhouse.

NEW CAREER HIGH
Victoria Dames rewarded head coach Clarisse Garcia with a career night on her first career start, pouring in a personal-best 14 points on 3-of-7 shooting, including a pair of 3-pointers, and 6-of-6 at the charity stripe. She added a team-high six rebounds, also a career high, to go along with three assists and two steals, matching her best output of her career in those categories.

GITTENS FINDS SCORING TOUCH AGAIN
Backcourt mate Tori Gittens hit double digits for the fourth time this season, and 10th of her career, by draining four triples among her 6-of-8 field goal performance on her way to matching her career-best output of 18 points, a mark she previously set earlier this season in the home opener against George Mason Nov. 16.

Gittens, who was held scoreless at No. 25 Florida State in the last Bucs' contest, has performed well inside her own building with three of her double-digit scoring games taking place inside the Buc Dome.

LEIGH LAYS IN NEAR-CAREER BEST
The third member of the starting backcourt, Sha'Mya Leigh, almost reached her career high but fell just a point shy, netting 17 points for her best of the 2021-22 season thus far. She equaled Gittens from behind the arc with four trifectas and six field goals, while distributing five assists helping the Bucs to 20 helpers on their 24 made field goals.

SEASON-BEST SCORING
CSU's 68 points are its most this year and under Garcia. It's the highest output since a narrow 74-73 loss at Radford Feb. 20, 2021. The Buccaneers have reached the 60-point mark two times in 2021-22.

COMPETITIVE FIRST HALF
Charleston Southern (0-8) battled back-and-forth with their Upstate visitors through the first two periods, staying within two, 42-40, at the break. It was the closest halftime score of the season. The Bucs shot 66.7 percent in the second quarter, dropping in 8-of-12, including 4-of-5 3-pointers, and added 4-of-4 at the charity stripe.

REJECTS APLENTY
The Buccaneers also shut down many Furman (6-6) chances with a season-best seven blocked shots, while preventing any of their own attempts to be turned away. Gittens and Skylar Baltezeger were each credited with two rejections, while Sharita Godfrey, Jordan Rogers and Makenna Winans had one apiece.

UP NEXT
Charleston Southern heads to Atlanta for the weekend to compete in the Georgia State Holiday Classic. Action gets underway with a Noon Saturday neutral-site tilt against the Lady Jaguars of South Alabama before concluding action at 2 p.m. Sunday with the host Panthers on ESPN+.