CHARLESTON, S.C. - Another game, another contest against a conference leader as the Buccaneers make the trek to Buies Creek, N.C. and Campbell University for a Tuesday night matchup. Tipoff on in Gore Arena between the Bucs and the Fighting Camels is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN+.

The Bucs (3-13, 1-6 Big South) make their final road trip in the month of January with a key trip to the Camels as CSU takes on conference leader Campbell (12-5, 7-1 Big South) in one of the final games in the first swing through league play. The Bucs host Winthrop (Jan. 25) and Presbyterian (Jan. 28) prior to beginning their second trip through conference play on February 1 at Gardner-Webb.

The all-time series between the Bucs and the Camels have been one-sided throughout the entirety of the matchup with Campbell holding the 35-5 edge over the Bucs. However, CSU has narrowed the gap since 2016 as the Bucs have won four of the last nine matchups, including a 63-59 win over Campbell back on February 6, 2018.

Campbell took all three of the games between the two teams last season with a 52-51 victory inside Gore Arena on February 19, 2019. The Camels also picked up the win in the Big South semifinal matchup between the Bucs and Campbell with a 55-44 victory inside the Millis Center in High Point, N.C.

The Camels were selected fourth overall in the conference's preseason poll as voted on by the coaches and media members. Campbell received 91 points and one first-place vote in the poll and were represented on the preseason All-Conference team by senior guard Hayley Barber (Second-Team selection).

Things started to click for the Buccaneers over the last two games as the youthful roster went up against two of the conference favorites in UNC Asheville and Hampton.

In Tuesday's game at UNC Asheville, Tierra Steede and Sharita Godfrey supported Carmella Walker's double-double with several key shots down the stretch in CSU's 60-48 win over the Bulldogs. The Bucs held Asheville to just 20.0% shooting from the floor in the contest and outscored the Bulldogs 21-9 over the final 10 minutes in pulling off the win.

Saturday's contest against Hampton featured Steede's second double-double of the season as the senior forward scored 18 points and added 10 rebounds in the loss. The Pirates and the Bucs swapped the lead 17 times over the span of the game before a decisive 12-0 run by Hampton held off a late CSU surge in the Bucs defeat. CSU shot a season-best 45.6% against Division I opponents in the loss with Steede (18) and Walker (14) both scoring double-digits.

Steede continues to put up career numbers in her senior season as the Marietta, Ga. native is averaging a career-high 12.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. The numbers would be good for 10th in the Big South in scoring and eighth in rebounding if Steede met the minimum game requirements in place.

Walker is the lone Buccaneer to start all 16 games this season as the junior guard paces CSU in multiple categories. Walker leads the Bucs in minutes (31.6), free throw percentage (80.9%), and steals (36), while also hitting 44.5% of her shots from the floor. She is second on the team averaging 11.3 points per game with 10 double-digit scoring efforts on the year.

Walker is currently second in the conference in free throw shooting (80.9%) and third overall in steals per game (2.3).

Godfrey is also among the team's scoring leaders this year with 9.9 points per game, as well as 5.9 rebounds per contest. The sophomore wing is also among the team leaders with nine double-digit scoring efforts, including a career-high 22 point game against High Point. Godfrey is also one of the elite rebounders in the Big South this season sitting sixth overall with 4.6 defensive boards per game.

Kelsie Ruff (8.2 ppg, t-29th), Ahlea Myers (2.5 apg, t-11th), and Asia Smith (0.6 bpg, 15th) are also among the team and conference leaders in the Big South this season.

The Camels sit atop the Big South rankings eight games into the conference season as Campbell enters the Tuesday night contest on a five-game winning streak. Campbell picked up road wins at Longwood, Hampton, and Presbyterian, while topping Gardner-Webb and Winthrop at home.

Well-known for their defensive prowess under the tutelage of head coach Ronny Fisher, the Camels have allowed only one opponent to score more than 55 points in Big South play with Asheville scoring 60 in the Camels' lone conference defeat. Campbell currently sits 24th in the country in field goal percentage defense at 35.1%, and fifth overall in scoring defense at 51.1 points per game.

Shy Tuelle leads Campbell's scoring efforts in the 2019-20 season with 9.8 points per game, while five Campbell players are averaging at least 7.0 points per contest on the season. Taya Bolden leads the rebounding efforts with 7.1 rebounds per game, while Kianna Speight is the team leader with 35 three-pointers on the year.

Up Next
Charleston Southern begins a two-game homestand inside the Buccaneer Field House on Saturday, January 25, with a 3 p.m. tipoff against Winthrop University. The game will be carried live on ESPN+.