Box Score CHARLESTON, S.C. –
Kennedi Jackson went for 25 points and 12 rebounds, as the Charleston Southern women's basketball team picked up their first win of the 2023-24 season on Saturday in a post-Thanksgiving matchup with the Mercer Bears at the Buc Dome.
Jackson's 25 points tied a career-high. With eight of her points coming in the fourth quarter, as the Bucs (1-5) outscored the Bears (2-6) 20-5 in the final 10 minutes.
Catherine Alben was second on the team with 11 points, while
Keshunti Nichols had 10 points.
Madison Adamson had nine rebounds to go along with six points, and
Jordan Berry led the team with six assists and seven points.
Mercer had a 48-46 lead entering the final quarter, but a fast-break layup by
Alba Garcia tied it within the first 20 seconds. Neither team scored again until the 6:53 mark of the final quarter, when the Bears hit a jumper to go up 50-48. Then, it was all Buccaneers.
The Bucs went ahead by six points with 1:51 left to go when Jackson scored a layup to go up 56-50. After the Bears got a quick layup, Jackson iced the game away with a three pointer to go up 59-52 with 1:21 left to go. Charleston Southern was 5/6 on their free throw attempts in the final minute.
The Bears looked strong early in the game, as they jumped out to a 9-2 lead within the first four minutes of the opening quarter, forcing a Buccaneer timeout. The Bucs cut it to four with a three pointer by Garcia. Mercer finished the quarter on a run to give them an eight-point lead.
Charleston Southern was able to respond in the second quarter, outscoring the Bears 22-14 to tie the game at intermission. Nichols had eight points in the quarter to guide the Bucs, including a layup in the fast break with just over a minute left.
The Bucs were 5/10 from beyond the arc, while the Bears were just 2/13. They shot a season-best 47.2% from the field and were 11/14 from the free throw line.
Next Up
Charleston Southern will play two games in three days starting next Thursday, when they travel to Tampa, FL to take on South Florida. Tip-off is at 11 a.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+. They will start the month of December with a matchup against South Carolina State at 2 p.m. next Saturday.
