CHARLESTON, S.C. – Another in-state, conference opponent in USC Upstate would be the opponent on CSU's schedule Wednesday night.

The Spartans, led by freshman Mister Dean, were playing in front of a sold-out G.B. Hodge Center crowd and were eager to bring home a conference win, an accomplishment they have only done once all season.

Despite a slow start for Head Coach Saah Nimley's Buccaneers, the team still managed to find itself ahead at halftime 36-34.

Two Buccaneers, Taje' Kelly and RJ Johnson, both finished the ball game with 20+ points. The duo held the CSU offensive attack together well into the second half with Kelly posting a 25-point, 17-rebound (career high), and 7-assist performance.

With 2:05 left in the contest, the Bucs were only up 3 (67-64). A crafty, and often occurring, maneuver to the basket by RJ Johnson would send the Matthews, North Carolina native to the free-throw line, where he would make 1 of 2 attempts (9/13 on the evening). 

With 1:21 remaining, and CSU up 70-64, Upstate had the opportunity to shrink the gap. Two missed free-throws by Mister Dean would, unfortunately for the Spartans, leave the lead at 6.

Upstate would play the foul game the rest of the way, resulting in a 82-75 victory for the Bucs.

21 points by RJ Johnson and 17 from Daylen Berry would stack very nicely on top of Taje' Kelly's 25 as the trio would combine for 63 of CSU's 82 points.

Charleston Southern will return to the Buc Dome this Saturday at 2 PM when they host they Longwood Lancers, a team they lost to by only five points earlier this month.

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