CHARLESTON, S.C. – Charleston Southern women's basketball opens its 2021-22 home slate Tuesday evening when it welcomes the George Mason Patriots to Buccaneer Fieldhouse for a 6 p.m. tip.
Game Details
Tuesday, November 16
Charleston Southern (0-1) vs. George Mason (2-1)
6 p.m. * Charleston, S.C. * Buccaneer Fieldhouse *
Live Stats *
Watch
Game Notes: Charleston Southern | George Mason
Last Time Out
Charleston Southern got scoring contributions from six different players, but Alabama's offense proved to be too much for the Bucs in a season-opening loss inside Coleman Coliseum.
Sha'Mya Leigh led the Bucs with nine points, including each of CSU's first seven, while
Alyssia Faye added eight.
Sharita Godfrey and
Skylar Baltezegar tied for the team lead with five rebounds, while
Madison Adamson and
Victoria Dames each had a pair of assists.
New Year, New Look
Charleston Southern enters a new era of women's basketball, with
Clarisse Garcia beginning her first season as head coach. In addition to Garcia, the entire coaching staff, consisting of
Stephanie Stoglin-Reed,
Ashley Jones and
Jordan Kyles, all enters year one in the Lowcountry.
With a new staff comes a new system, and the Bucs have embraced a style of play that Garcia has described as "fast, fun and fierce." CSU will also feature five newcomers on its roster this season in freshmen
Skylar Baltezegar,
Jordan Rogers and
Madison Adamson, and transfers
Victoria Dames and
Zaire Hicks.
Veteran Presence
CSU returns four of its five starters from last season, including nearly all of its offensive production from the 2020-21 team.
Alyssia Faye was the Bucs' leading scorer and rebounder last season, ranking inside the top 15 in the Big South in both scoring and rebounding at 11.9 points and 7.1 boards per game.
Sharita Godfrey is also back for her senior season after finishing third on the team in scoring (9.6 points per game) and second in rebounding (5.3 rebounds per game), while leading the team in 3-point percentage at 44.0 percent from beyond the arc.
Janaia Fargo,
Sha'Mya Leigh and
Makenna Winans all spent time in the starting rotation last season, and all three are back this season and expected to play significant roles within the CSU lineup.
The starting five in CSU's season opener at Alabama consisted of two seniors (Godfrey, Faye), two juniors (Gittens, Leigh) and a freshman (Adamson).
Out of the Gate
Sha'Mya Leigh jumped out to a quick start in the season opener at Alabama, scoring each of the Bucs' first seven points .
Leigh led the Bucs with nine points in the contest and her seven first-half points were the most by a Buccaneer in either half against the Crimson Tide.
Closing out Strong
Alyssia Faye ended the 2020-21 season on a high note for the Bucs. Faye reached double-figure scoring in each of the last five games, and also had five or more rebounds in eight straight games to close the season.
Faye was also one of just eight players to rank inside the top 15 of the Big South in both scoring and rebounding during the 2020-21 season, and the only player in the conference to reach that mark and not be selected to the all-conference teams.
Chasing the Pack
Charleston Southern was picked to finish last in the Big South Preseason Poll, which was voted on by the head coaches in the conference. The Buccaneers received 18 points in the poll.
Scouting George Mason
George Mason enters Tuesday's game at 2-1 overall. The Patriots opened the season with consecutive road wins at FIU and Loyola (Md.) before falling in their home opener to Virginia Tech on Sunday.
Similar to the Buccaneers, George Mason enters a new era of women's basketball. Vanessa Blair-Lewis enters her first season as head coach of the Patriots after spending the last 13 years as head coach at Bethune-Cookman, compiling 196 wins, six winning season and the Wildcats' first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance during her time in Daytona Beach.
Blair-Lewis gets an added boost to start her tenure in Fairfax, as five of George Mason's top six scorers from last season all return for the 2021-22 campaign.
Series Breakdown
Tuesday's contest will be the first-ever meeting on the hardwood between the Buccaneers and Patriots.
George Mason is the first A-10 program to visit Buccaneer Fieldhouse since Davidson made the trip to the Lowcountry during the 2018-19 season.
Coming Up on the Schedule
Charleston Southern begins a two-game road trip Saturday afternoon at Western Carolina, with tipoff set for 4 p.m.
Charleston Southern's Next Five Games
- November 20 at Western Carolina
- November 26 at Auburn
- November 29 vs. Belmont Abbey
- December 2 vs. College of Charleston
- December 5 at Florida State
Follow the Bucs on Social Media
For more information and news, stay up-to-date with Buccaneer Women's Soccer via Twitter, Instagram and CSUSports.com.
