CHARLESTON, S.C. - Charleston Southern was unable to overcome a third-quarter Gardner-Webb scoring surge as the Buccaneers fell at home on Sunday afternoon to the Runnin' Bulldogs, 68-59.

The Bucs (5-5, 3-3 Big South) held control throughout the first half on the strength of a 50.0% team field goal percentage and 66.7% three-point percentage as CSU went into the break with the 31-24 lead. Gardner-Webb (4-7, 4-2 Big South) rallied with a 22-6 stretch in the third quarter thanks to 12 Buccaneer turnovers as the Runnin' Bulldogs defense carried the team to their second consecutive win and the sweep.

Sharita Godfrey paced four Bucs in double-digits in the scoring column with 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting and went a perfect 3-for-3 from the three-point line in the loss. Makenna Winans narrowly missed out on her first collegiate double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds, while Carmella Walker (12) and Jamya Rogers (10) were also in double-digits for the Bucs.

Jhessyka Williams led the Runnin' Bulldogs with 17 points and added five steals as GWU's Big South-leading defensive pressure posted 20 steals in the contest. Ki'Ari Cain added 14 points and five steals, while Alasia Smith had 10 points, six rebounds, and six steals in the win.
 
First Quarter
Jhessyka Williams opened the scoring with a pair of free throws at the 9:17 mark as Gardner-Webb scored six of the first seven points in the contest to take the early lead. Sharita Godfrey connected on her first three-pointer of the game to end the GWU run and Makenna Winans added a three-pointer at the 5:56 mark to give CSU its first lead of the contest. The Bucs utilized a late 6-0 run with Carmella Walker and Godfrey both hitting a pair of shots to give CSU the 15-13 lead at the quarter break.

Second Quarter
Jamya Rogers opened the scoring in the second quarter with a pair of free throws at the 8:12 mark to stretch the Bucs' lead to 17-13. Godfrey drilled another three-pointer at the 6:43 mark to stretch the Bucs lead and Tori Gittens connected from the top of the key to continue to put CSU ahead 22-15 nearing the media timeout. The Bucs' lead reached double-digits at 27-17 following Walker's three-pointer at the 2:37 and Rogers kept the 10-point lead with a layup late in the half. Micahla Funderburk hit a late three-pointer to send the teams into the break with CSU leading 31-24.

Third Quarter
Gardner-Webb utilized 12 CSU turnovers on their way to outscoring the Buccaneers 28-15 in the frame and building a six-point lead. The Bucs led 40-30 with 6:24 remaining in the quarter following a Winans' three-point play. From there, GWU went on a 22-6 run with Williams breaking a 44-44 tie with a pair of free throws to swing the lead to the Runnin' Bulldogs. GWU would score eight of the final 10 points of the quarter with Alasia Smith scoring the final three of the quarter to give the Runnin' Bulldogs the 52-46 lead.

Fourth Quarter
CSU kept the game within striking distance throughout the fourth quarter with Godfrey and Rogers combining to score nine of the Bucs' 13 points in the quarter. The Bucs brought the contest back to within four points at the 8:33 mark as Godfrey connected on a jumper on a GWU defensive lapse to narrow the gap to 54-50. CSU kept it within a two-possession game throughout the quarter until the end when GWU went on a 6-0 run with Gabrielle Caponegro, Williams, and Smith all scoring during the stretch. Godfrey made a late three-pointer with 51 seconds remaining to provide the final margin.

CSU Key Players

• Sharita Godfrey – 19 points, 7-of-12 FG, 3-of-3 3PT, 2-of-2 FT, six rebounds, two steals
• Makenna Winans – 14 points, 6-of-9 FG, nine rebounds, two assists
• Carmella Walker – 12 points, 5-of-6 FT, six assists, three rebounds, one blocked shot
• Jamya Rogers – 10 points, 4-of-5 FG, 2-of-2 FT, five rebounds, one assist

Inside the Statistics

• Charleston Southern shot 47.7% (21-of-44) from the floor, 62.5% (5-of-8) from the three-point line, and 80.0% (12-of-15) from the free throw line in the contest.
• Gardner-Webb was 39.1% (25-of-64) from the floor, 33.3% (7-of-21) from the three-point line, and 61.1% (11-of-18) from the free throw line in the game.
• The Bucs held the 39-28 rebounding advantage in the game with four players recording at least five rebounds in the game.
• Gardner-Webb out-scored the Bucs 30-6 in points off turnovers and 13-6 in points off fast-breaks.
• The Bucs narrowly lost the second-chance points category with GWU out-scoring CSU 13-12.

News & Notes

• The Bucs were swept for the first time in the 2020-21 season as CSU fell in both regular-season contests to the Runnin' Bulldogs.
• CSU falls to 6-18 all-time in the series to the Runnin' Bulldogs.
• Sharita Godfrey scored double-digits for the fifth time this season and 16th of her collegiate career.
• Makenna Winans was in double-digits for the second time this season.
• Carmella Walker ran her double-digit scoring streak to four consecutive games and seventh time this year.
• Jamya Rogers put together her second double-digit scoring performance of the season off the bench.
• CSU made it three consecutive games with at least a 40.0% shooting percentage following the contest.
• The Bucs shot a season-best 62.5% from the three-point line in the loss.
• CSU's 80.0% free throw percentage tied the team's second-best output of the 2020-21 season.
• Walker's six assists marked a career-high for the senior guard.

Up Next
Charleston Southern remains at home as the Buccaneers continue their eight-game home stand on Friday, January 15. CSU hosts UNC Asheville for a two-game set starting at 7 p.m. on Friday evening with the game set to be carried on ESPN+.