CHARLESTON, S.C. – Charleston Southern men's basketball earned its first win of the 2023-24 campaign in front of a packed Buc Dome Monday night, topping visiting Toccoa Falls 94-59.

STAR DEBUT
Transfer DJ Patrick made his name known to the Bucs Monday night, starring in his debut in the blue and gold. Patrick opened the contest with a three from the corner and did not look back from there. After a 6-12 performance from the field in the first half, Patrick ended the stanza with a team-high 15 and set the pace for his 22-point output for a game high.

RETURNER'S RETURN 
Taje' Kelly and RJ Johnson both looked like seasoned vets as leaders on the floor, Kelly finishing with an 11-point, 12-rebound double double and Johnson added 19 points and four dimes on 7-10 shooting from the field. Johnson also recorded a +/- rating of +39, a team high as well.

IN THE BALANCE
Four different Bucs found double figures in the contest, with Patrick leading the way with 22 points. Johnson's 7-10 from the field carded him three points off Patrick's mary of 22 while Kelly's 11 points was one half of his double double effort. Kalib Clinton made an impact in his 15 minutes as well, finishing as the fourth member of the double-figure club with his 10.
 
The Bucs finished the contest shooting over 50% from the field while holding Toccoa Falls to just 33%. CSU also saw 23 second-chance points and 14 fast break points, but the damage was done inside the paint with 50 of the 94 total points coming in the area.
 
ON THE DEFENSIVE SIDE
Charleston Southern turned in an impressive effort on the defensive side of the ball in its season opener, forcing 14 Toccoa Falls turnovers and turning them into 16 points on the other end of the floor. Nobal Days and Louis Hutchinson both recorded multiple steals for the Bucs, while Days added taking a charge to his line on the night.
 
SHARING THE WEALTH
The Buccaneers laid claim to 19 assists on 37 made field goals in tonight's contest as Patrick, Kelly and Johnson each added four dimes to highlight a group of five different Bucs to collect multiple helpers. It was a total team effort, with Charleston Southern dominating every aspect of the game in a convincing opening-night victory in front of the home fans.

UP NEXT
The Bucs round up the mini homestand to open the season as they play hosts to North Florida Thursday, November 9. The contest will serve as the fifth meeting between the two programs, the last two coming in a home-and-home series back in the 18-19 season. Tip for Thursday's contest is slated for 7:00 p.m. and will air on ESPN+.