CHARLESTON, S.C. - Charleston Southern was unable to withstand a strong first half push from visiting High Point on Saturday night as the Buccaneers fell in the series finale on Senior Day, 71-54.

The Bucs (6-12, 4-10 Big South) recognized 2020-21 seniors Carmella Walker, Anna Webster, and Kelsie Ruff prior to tipoff and the trio of seniors started on the court in their final game in the Field House. Walker finished with 10 points in the contest, while Webster chipped in two points and three rebounds. Ruff added four points and a pair of assists as the senior class wrapped up their Buc Dome playing career on Saturday evening.

High Point (14-5, 12-2 Big South) took advantage from behind the three-point arc for the second consecutive game as the Panthers connected on 11-of-32 from distance in the contest. Six different Panthers connected on three-pointers in the game paced by Skyler Curran's four, while Jenson Edwards connected on a pair on her way to a team-high 17 points.

Sha'Mya Leigh paced all scorers for the Bucs with a game-high 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the floor. Walker added 10 points, while freshman forward Makenna Winans recorded a career-high 13 rebounds in the loss.

Curran joined Jenson Edwards with 16 points for the Panthers in the win, while Jordan Edwards added eight points, seven rebounds, and six assists.
 
First Quarter
Curran and Jordan Edwards put the Panthers up 8-2 early with a pair of three-pointers over the first 1:18 of the contest as High Point jumped out to the quick start. The Bucs battled back with back-to-back baskets inside the paint as Alyssia Faye and Sharita Godfrey both scored down low to narrow it down to a two-point game at the 7:27 mark. High Point stretched the lead back out to seven at 17-10 following an Edwards layup, while Curran's second three-pointer of the quarter at the 1:26 mark made it a 20-12 game at the quarter break.

Second Quarter
Carmella Walker and Makenna Winans scored the first four points of the second quarter as the Bucs halved the High Point lead at the 7:43 mark. Jordan Edwards ended the CSU stretch with a three-pointer to spark an 8-0 High Point run and give the Panthers their first double-digit lead of the contest at 28-16. The Panthers' stretch continued as High Point went into the half on an 18-4 run in building a 38-20 advantage.

Third Quarter
High Point's lead reached 20 at the 8:04 mark following a Cydney Johnson layup as the Panthers build the 42-22 lead. Sha'Mya Leigh was fouled on a three-pointer and made all three free throws to cut the HPU lead down to 17, but High Point continued to press behind the arc with Claire Wyatt, Jenson Edwards, and Callie Scheier all connecting on three-pointers in building the 53-27 lead with 4:10 remaining. The Bucs battled back with late baskets by Ruff and Walker to send the game into the fourth quarter with CSU trailing 56-34.

Fourth Quarter
High Point went up 60-34 on LaImani Simmons' layup at the 9:27 mark before the Bucs mounted their final comeback of the contest. Sparked by Janaia Fargo's three-pointer, CSU went on a 12-0 run to narrow the game back to 60-46. Leigh capped the stretch with her first three-pointer of the game, but the Panthers responded with a seven-point stretch of their own to secure the contest. The Bucs continued to battle late, but CSU was unable to close the gap in falling in the Big South contest.

CSU Key Players

• Sha'Mya Leigh – 18 points, 7-of-8 FG, 1-of-1 3PT, 3-of-3 FT, three rebounds, two steals
• Carmella Walker – 10 points, 3-of-11 FG, 4-of-8 FT, three rebounds, one assist, one steal
• Alyssia Faye – Nine points, 4-of-9 FG, six rebounds, two assists
• Makenna Winans – Two points, 13 rebounds, two steals, one blocked shot

Inside the Numbers

• Charleston Southern shot 35.6% (21-of-59) from the floor, 12.5% (2-of-16) from the three-point line, and 58.8% (10-of-17) from the free throw line in the loss.
• High Point shot 39.1% (25-of-64) from the floor, 34.4% (11-of-32) from the three-point line, and 71.4% (10-of-14) from the free throw line in the win.
• The Buccaneers paced the Panthers with the 34-28 edge in point scoring and the 25-15 advantage in points off the bench.
• CSU also led the way in second-chance points (8-5) and fast-break points (11-5).
• High Point held the 13-12 scoring edge in points off turnovers.
• The Bucs and Panthers each recorded 41 rebounds in the contest.

News & Notes

• Sha'Mya Leigh's 18 points marked a new career-high for the sophomore guard and her fifth double-digit scoring game of the season.
• Carmella Walker's 10-point performance was her eighth double-digit scoring game and first since she scored 12 against Gardner-Webb back on January 10.
• Makenna Winans' 13-rebound game was her first double-digit rebounding performance and the single-most rebounds by a Buccaneer this season.
• CSU posted back-to-back 40-rebound games for the second time this season as the Bucs also recorded a pair of 40-rebound games against UNC Asheville on January 15-16.

Up Next
Charleston Southern hits the road for their final six games of the 2020-21 regular season with the Buccaneers making their first stop at Longwood on February 12-13 for a two-game series.