CHARLESTON, S.C. - Sha'Mya Leigh scored 17 points and Alyssia Faye added 15 points and eight rebounds in her Charleston Southern debut as the Buccaneers topped visiting Columbia International on Wednesday afternoon in the Buccaneer Field House, 79-52.

The Bucs (1-0) outscored the Rams (3-4) 45-22 in the second half and held a commanding 22-10 scoring edge inside the point over the final 20 minutes on their way to securing the win. Leigh and Faye were the two CSU players in double-digit scoring, while all 10 Bucs that dressed out found their way into the scoring column on the afternoon.

Leigh finished 7-of-11 from the floor on her way to a career-high 17 points in the contest. She added three assists and three steals. Faye added 15 points on 7-of-15 shooting and helped power the Bucs to a 52-45 rebounding advantage in the game.

Zion Neat led the Rams with 16 points and nine rebounds in the loss, while Keniah Watkins added 12 points and six assists overall.

First Quarter
Sharita Godfrey opened the scoring with a three-pointer at the 9:07 mark as the Buccaneers took the early lead over the Rams. Alyssia Faye added an offensive rebound and put-back, while Sha'Mya Leigh drained a three-pointer as the Buccaneers went up 8-2 less than three minutes into the contest. The Rams rallied back with a 9-1 run capped by Zion Neat's three-pointer to take the 11-9 lead for CIU's first advantage in the game. Neither team led by more than two possessions the remainder of the period with CIU's Keniah Watkins converting a pair of late free throws to put the score at 20-20 at the break.

Second Quarter
Faye broke the 20-20 with a fast-break layup nearly two minutes into the second quarter as the teams settled into a defensive battle early in the frame. Watkins tied the game up for the sixth time at the 4:32 mark with a layup to keep the margin at 24-24 at the second quarter media timeout. Jamya Rogers swung the advantage back to the Bucs for good with a layup off a CIU turnover in sparking an 8-0 run over a 60-second span. The Bucs lead was cut down to four, 34-30, at the break behind a pair of late baskets from CIU's Watkins and Briyaun Stewart.

Third Quarter
CSU powered their way to a 23-12 scoring edge in the third quarter, including their first double-digit lead of the contest at the 8:03 mark as Godfrey hit the short jumper inside the lane to put the Bucs ahead 40-30. The lead reached 17 with 3:29 remaining in the third quarter as Walker's pair of free throws gave the Bucs a 52-35 edge. Winans added a pair of late baskets, while Faye closed out the scoring with a layup with 11 seconds remaining to put CSU ahead 57-42.

Fourth Quarter
CIU cut the lead down to nine points following back-to-back three-pointers from Jordin McQueen and Neat, before the Bucs rallied back with a 12-0 run to seal the win. With the margin at 57-48 at the 8:53 mark, Janaia Fargo sparked a 14-0 run over the ensuing three minutes with a short jumper to give CSU the 71-48 lead with 6:07 remaining. Niya Goudelock and Tori Gittens combined to add free throws down the stretch as the Bucs closed out their first win of the season.
 
CSU Key Players

• Sha'Mya Leigh – 17 points, 7-of-11 shooting, three assists, three steals
• Alyssia Faye – 15 points, eight rebounds, two steals
• Carmella Walker – nine points, 5-of-5 FT, six rebounds
• Sharita Godfrey – seven points, nine rebounds, two steals
• Janaia Fargo – Seven points, seven rebounds, three assists
• Niya Goudelock – Six points, five assists, four rebounds

Team Statistical Highlights

• Charleston Southern shot 41.4% (30-of-73) from the floor in the contest and 76.2% (16-of-21) from the free throw line in the win.
• Over the deciding second half, CSU shot 16-of-29 (55.2%) from the floor and 12-of-16 (75.0%) from the free throw line in pulling away.
• The Bucs recorded 16 offensive rebounds on their way to putting together 17 second-chance points.
• CSU scored 28 points off 25 CIU turnovers and held the 42-22 advantage on points in the paint.
• The Bucs took advantage of the CIU full-court press in the second half on their way to holding a game 23-6 scoring edge on fast-break points.
• Four different Bucs recorded at least six rebounds in the contest, while six different players scored at least seven points to showcase CSU's balanced attack in the game.
• CSU posted 13 steals in the game.

News & Notes

• Wednesday marked the CSU debuts of Alyssa Faye, Janaia Fargo, Makenna Winans, Niya Goudelock, and Jamya Rogers.
• Faye and Fargo added their first career starts in a Buccaneer uniform on Wednesday.
• Leigh's 17 points marked a career-high for the sophomore guard, eclipsing her previous mark of 11 points set last season at Western Carolina
• Alyssia Faye's 15 points tied her collegiate-high for points, equaling a 15-point performance she recorded in the 2018-19 season while attending Wichita State.
• The Bucs moved to 3-0 all-time against Columbia International with the Wednesday win.
• CSU's mark against Appalachian Athletic Conference improves to 13-4 overall in program history.

Up Next
Charleston Southern hits the road for the first time in the 2020-21 season on Wednesday, December 2, as the Buccaneers travel to Gainesville, Fla. and Exactech Arena at Stephen C. O'Connell Center for a non-conference matchup against the University of Florida. Tipoff between the Bucs and the Gators is set for 3 p.m.