ROCK HILL, S.C. – The gauntlet of a non-conference schedule paid off for the Charleston Southern women's basketball program Wednesday evening, as the Buccaneers were well prepared for their Big South opener. The Bucs went on the road to Rock Hill for a 67-54 triumph at Winthrop, a result which put CSU in the win column for the first time during the 2021-22 campaign.

MARK IT DOWN AS A W
Charleston Southern sealed the victory by leading nearly wire-to-wire, holding the upper-hand over the Eagles for 35:58. The Buccaneers used a game-changing 17-0 scoring run, which started in the second period and extended into the third, to pull away by as much as 16 (36-20) at the half on their way to a game-best 21-point cushion with just under two minutes elapsed in the third quarter.

GARCIA GETS HER FIRST
Head coach Clarisse Garcia is credited with her first triumph in charge of the CSU program. She missed Wednesday's action but the win still falls to her per NCAA policy. Associate head coach Stephanie Stoglin-Reed filled in as the 'acting' head coach for the contest.

RUN STRETCHES LEAD
The aforementioned 17-0 spurt keyed the Bucs in the victory. After the Eagles' Noble Tsumas hit a 3-pointer to cut the Charleston Southern (1-11, 1-0 Big South) margin to three, 23-20, with 6:04 to play in the second quarter, the Bucs closed the half by outscoring the hosts 13-0. Freshman forward Skylar Baltezegar's layup on a Janaia Fargo assist on the next trip down the floor sparked the domination and CSU never looked back. Sophomore Victoria Dames began the third period with consecutive jumpers, widening the advantage to 20, 40-20, before Caroline De Klauman halted the surge for Winthrop (2-9, 0-1 Big South) with her layup at the 8:30 mark.

DAMES' CAREER HIGH PACES SCORING
Dames continued to find her groove in her first season with the Buccaneers, as she tallied a career-best and team-high 18 points. She hit 7-of-10 field goals, including 1-of-2 from behind the 3-point arc, while adding 3-of-4 at the charity stripe. She also chipped in five rebounds and three assists to her overall effort.

FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK STUFFS STAT SHEET
Baltezegar, two days removed from being named the Big South Freshman of the Week, continued to make her presence known with another monster performance Wednesday. She buried 5-of-7 field goals as part of a career-best tying 13 points, while securing eight rebounds (all defensive), handing out five assists, posting four blocks and swiping a steal.

FAYE APPROACHES DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Redshirt senior Alyssia Faye was not to be outdone, as she nearly posted her third double-double of the season with a 13-point, nine-rebound game. She connected on 5-of-10 field goals and all three of her free throw attempts. Seven of her caroms were on the defensive glass, while she joined Dames, Sharita Godfrey and Sha'Mya Leigh with three assists.

UP NEXT
Charleston Southern returns to the Buccaneer Fieldhouse hardwood to start the 2022 calendar year with a 2 p.m. Saturday tip-off against High Point. The Buccaneers welcome the preseason Big South favorite to town with an ESPN+ broadcast.