CHARLESTON, S.C. – After playing Georgia Tech just days before in Atlanta, the CSU men's basketball team hopped on a plane to take on another ACC opponent Saturday afternoon, the Miami Hurricanes.

Before Saturday, the Canes and Bucs had faced off twice in the past (1986 & 1989) with both contests being won by Miami. In the Georgia Tech match-up just days before, Bucs' starting guard RJ Johnson was absent due to injury. Fortunately, Johnson sent a text message to Head Coach Saah Nimley shortly before Saturday's pregame stating, "Coach… I'm going to give you all I got."

The ball game began in favor of the Bucs. CSU shot the ball over 55 percent in the first half with 18 of their 45 points being scored by Thompson Camara. Camara, a transfer from Frank Phillips College, broke his division one career-high (14) in the ball game at Georgia Tech earlier in the week.

The Bucs would go into the halftime locker room up eight points (45-37). The college basketball world could easily be shocked the Hurricanes were trailing CSU after half number one, but the predicament was not surprise the members of the Buccaneer locker room. Head Coach Saah Nimley had a clear message for his team Saturday,

"When you stand on your principles… all it takes is us."

CSU maintained a steady lead for a majority of the second 20-minute period. Shortly after the three-minute mark, Miami took the lead 76-75. Followed by an and-one hookshot by Miami's Lynn Kidd, the Canes would take a four-point lead. The Bucs needed to make a play fast to keep their upset dream alive, and that is where shot creator Daylen Berry enters the story. Berry, who had not made a field-goal all day up until this point, knocked down a corner three with what looked like a millimeter of space between him and the out-of-bounds line. Up one, the Canes drove down the floor and turned the basketball over resulting in a CSU time-out with a little over 60 seconds left to play.

With a minute to go and down a point, CSU needed another bucket while the door was open. The man who seemed to have the Hurricanes figured out all afternoon, RJ Johnson, struck while the metaphorical iron was hot once again. Johnson, off of the assist from fellow veteran-Buc Taje' Kelly, knocked down a three-ball from the left wing right in the front of the CSU bench to put the Bucs back in the lead. 

After another missed opportunity (missed hook shot by Kidd) and timeout by the Bucs. The Buccaneer coaching staff had an opportunity to regroup and make the right call with 40 seconds remaining on the play clock. A crucial turnover by CSU put the ball back in the hands of the legendary Head Coach, Jim Larranaga's Miami Hurricanes. A missed three-point shot that would go out-of-bounds would give the Bucs the ball back with 12 seconds to play. The realization that a CSU win was now not only a possibility, but a near-reality.

Daylen Berry would punch in two free throws to put the Bucs up by four and with 11 seconds left, the ball would not go through the hoop for either team again. The Bucs had come down to Coral Gables, Florida and collected their first division one win of the season, in a Saturday afternoon ACC gym.

A locker room drenched in water was the platform for Head Coach Saah Nimley to speak to his ball club after the victory. A message centered around the importance of having their own backs was given to the team and the glorious E.D.I.G.7. chain was placed around the neck of Coach Nimley's player of the game, RJ Johnson.

The Bucs' box score was a beautiful sight. For the first time since 2018 (vs Coppin State) three Buccaneers scored 20+ points. Johnson led the scoring charge with 23. He also dished out five assists and shot an efficient 8/14 from the field and 3/6 from long-range. Taje' Kelly recorded his first double-double of the year with 20 points and 11 boards. Impressively, Kelly also led the squad with six assists. Thompson Camara, the third member of the 20+ committee, posted 21 points, shooting 8/13 from the floor, including five makes from three-point territory.

The Bucs leave the month of November with a momentum shift and smile as they head back to the Holy City. Their next ball game will be back in the Buc Dome as they take on the UT-Martin Skyhawks on Tuesday (Dec. 3) at 7:30 PM.

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