CSU Set for First-Ever Meeting with Pitt Saturday Afternoon

The Basics
Game Four
Charleston Southern (0-3) at Pitt (3-0)
Date/Time: Saturday, November 14 / 12:00 p.m.
TV/Video: ACC Network Extra
Live Stats: Pitt Athletics
Location: Petersen Events Center

CHARLESTON – The Charleston Southern women's basketball team continues its 2026-27 nonconference slate Saturday afternoon as the Buccaneers travel to Pennsylvania to face Pitt at the Petersen Events Center.

Tipoff is set for noon as CSU looks to secure its first victory of the season under first-year Head Coach Tim Hays.

The Buccaneers enter the matchup at 0-3 following a 54-45 setback at Mercer on Wednesday evening. Freshman Zara Sestan delivered a standout performance in just her third collegiate contest, pouring in a game-high 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the field, including five three-pointers. Sestan also added five rebounds and six steals, accounting for more than half of Charleston Southern's offensive production.

Charleston Southern came out firing against Mercer, building a 20-13 advantage after the opening quarter behind 12 points from Sestan. The Buccaneers extended their lead to as many as 10 points before the Bears responded with a late first-half rally, trimming CSU's advantage to 31-30 at halftime. Mercer gained momentum after the break, outscoring Charleston Southern 24-14 over the final two quarters to secure the nine-point victory.

Saturday's matchup marks the first-ever meeting between Charleston Southern and Pitt, as the Buccaneers face their first Atlantic Coast Conference opponent of the season. The Panthers enter the contest with a perfect 3-0 record following a historic 129-51 victory over Delaware State on Tuesday, setting multiple program records under Head Coach Robin Harmony.

Fans can keep up with Saturday's matchup live on ACC Network Extra (ACCNX) or by following @CSUBucsWBB on X for updates and information.

Quick Hits

Saturday marks the fourth game of the Tim Hays era at Charleston Southern as the Buccaneers look to secure their first victory of the 2026-27 campaign.
Charleston Southern enters the matchup at 0-3 following road setbacks at East Carolina, College of Charleston and Mercer to open the season.
Freshman Zara Sestan is coming off a career performance against Mercer, scoring a game-high 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the field, including five three-pointers on eight attempts. Sestan also collected five rebounds and six steals in the contest.
Sestan scored 12 points in the opening quarter against Mercer without missing a field goal, finishing the period 5-of-5 from the floor and 2-of-2 from beyond the arc. The freshman entered halftime with 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting.
Sestan accounted for 55.6 percent of Charleston Southern's total offense against Mercer, scoring 25 of the Buccaneers' 45 points.
The Buccaneers shot 40.0 percent from three-point range against Mercer, connecting on six of their 15 attempts. CSU also held an 18-12 advantage in points in the paint and recorded 12 steals.
Ashleigh Battle recorded a game-high 21 points against College of Charleston earlier this season, shooting 8-of-15 from the field and connecting on two three-pointers.
Sophomore Celina Vilcinskas opened the season with 10 points and five rebounds at East Carolina before adding six points and six rebounds against College of Charleston.
Charleston Southern welcomes 13 newcomers to its 14-player roster this season, with senior Alaina Nettles serving as the lone returner from the 2025-26 squad.
The Buccaneers' roster features student-athletes representing 11 different countries, the most countries represented on a roster in NCAA Division I women's basketball.
At 6-foot-9, Vilcinskas is the third-tallest player in NCAA Division I women's basketball. She is joined by 6-foot-7 freshman Happy Arune, forming the tallest duo in Division I women's basketball.
Saturday marks the first-ever meeting between Charleston Southern and Pitt, as the two programs have never faced one another on the hardwood.
A victory Saturday would give Hays his first win at Charleston Southern, secure the Buccaneers' first victory of the 2026-27 season and hand Pitt its first loss of the campaign.

Opponent Information: Pitt

Pitt enters Saturday's matchup with a perfect 3-0 record following a historic 129-51 victory over Delaware State on Tuesday evening at the Petersen Events Center. The Panthers established multiple program records in the win, including the most points scored by any Pitt basketball team, a program-best 39 points in the third quarter and a record 18 made three-pointers.
The Panthers' 129 points against Delaware State marked the highest single-game scoring total by an ACC women's basketball team since 1990.
The Panthers are led by first-year Head Coach Robin Harmony, who has guided Pitt to three consecutive victories to open the 2026-27 campaign.
Saturday's matchup marks the first-ever meeting between Charleston Southern and Pitt, with the Panthers hosting the Buccaneers at the Petersen Events Center for a noon tipoff on ACCNX.

For the latest information on CSU women's basketball, follow @CSUBucsWBB on X and Instagram or go to www.CSUSports.com.

---#BucStrong---

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Players Mentioned

Happy Arune

Ashleigh Battle

Alaina Nettles

Zara Sestan

Celina Vilcinskas

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