Women's Basketball 3/5/2021 1:40:00 PM

WBB Preview | Bucs open 2021 Hercules Tires Big South Championships at USC Upstate

CHARLESTON, S.C. - Charleston Southern hits the road once again, but this time it is for postseason action as the Buccaneers begin the 2021 Hercules Tires Big South Women's Basketball Championships on Saturday afternoon. The No. 9 Bucs will take on the No. 8 USC Upstate Spartans at the G.B. Hodge Center for a 2 p.m. tipoff with the game set to be carried live on ESPN3.

Game Information – Saturday, March 6

No. 9 Charleston Southern (6-16, 4-14 Big South) vs. No. 8 USC Upstate (7-14, 5-11 Big South)
2 p.m. * Spartanburg, S.C. * G.B. Hodge Center
Game Notes | Live Stats | ESPN3

Series History
USC Upstate leads the all-time series over the Buccaneers, 10-5, dating back to the first matchup in 1979-80. The Bucs' series against the Spartans is one of the earliest in CSU program history, but it did not get off to an auspicious start with Upstate winning the first five matchups. CSU's longest winning streak, a three-game stretch that included all three games in the 2018-19 season, came just two years ago.

Last Five Contests

Feb. 11, 2020 – USC Upstate won 71-64
Dec. 28, 2019 – USC Upstate won 70-53
Mar. 12, 2019 – CSU won 67-52 (Big South First Round)
Feb. 9, 2019 – CSU won 74-62
Jan. 19, 2019 – CSU won 78-75

USC Upstate swept both contests last season with the Spartans snapping CSU's three-game winning streak in the series. The Spartans took the opener in Spartanburg, 70-53, before returning to down the Bucs in the Buc Dome in mid-February, 71-64.

In the opener last season, USC Upstate utilized a 13-0 run that spanned the third and fourth quarters to allow the Spartans to pull away in the 70-53 win. USC Upstate held off the Bucs despite 11 points from Tori Gittens and Tierra Steede's nine-point, five-rebound performance.

In the second contest, the Spartans outscored the Bucs 24-10 in the third quarter and held off a late CSU charge in taking the 71-64 win. The Bucs cut the game down to one possession several times with Kelsie Ruff connecting on a late three-pointer, but the Spartans held off the run in the win. Tyra Wright (12-points, 10-rebounds) and Steede (10-points, 10-rebounds) both recorded double-doubles in the loss.

Buccaneers suffer back-to-back heartbreakers in road series at Radford
Radford's Kyanna Morgan hit a go-ahead three-point basket with under :02 to play lifting the home Highlanders past Charleston Southern 74-73 Saturday in Big South women's basketball from the Dedmon Center. Charleston Southern saw a game-high 20 points and 11 rebounds from Alyssia Faye, but Radford got a late clutch shot to overcome the Bucs' strong offensive day.

In the rematch, Radford dealt Charleston Southern a last-second heartbreak as the Buccaneers were unable to hold off the Highlanders in the closing seconds of regulation and then in overtime in the 76-67 loss. The Buccaneers) held the 65-61 lead with 17 seconds remaining following Sha'Mya Leigh's successful free throw conversions. Radford rallied back with Destinee Marshall cutting the CSU lead down to 65-63 with 13 seconds remaining.

Out of the timeout, CSU was unable to convert a layup off the in-bounds pass and Radford took it down the court. Following a jump-ball situation, Ashley Tudor scored the game-tying layup with two seconds remaining to tie the contest heading into overtime. In the overtime period, the Highlanders outscored the Bucs 11-2 with Makaila Wilson and Tudor both scoring four points over the five-minute period to secure the conference win.

Upstate comes off COVID break after sweeping series over UNC Asheville
The Spartans enter the weekend series coming off a break in the schedule as their series against Campbell on February 19-20 was postponed. USC Upstate swept Asheville in their previous two games prior to the weekend to bounce back from being toppled by Radford in both contests at home.

Junior Molly Coleman dominated in the paint Friday afternoon as the Spartans took a 62-49 road win against UNC Asheville in game one of the back-to-back series. Four Spartans scored in double-figures including Coleman who posted a career-high 24 points and 14 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season, and Jada Logan who notched her first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Upstate improved to 6-14 with the win.

USC Upstate women's basketball completed the series sweep of UNC Asheville Saturday afternoon with a 61-58 win. Jada Logan posted her second consecutive double-double and Denijsha Wilson put up a game-high 22 points to help the Spartans improve to 7-14 (5-11 BSC) this season.

Bucs against the Big South
No surprises when it comes to conference play for the Buccaneers as Charleston Southern has faced off with each Big South team on multiple occasions throughout the years. The inaugural matchup between the Bucs and a Big South opponent came back in the 1977-78 season when CSU fell to the Winthrop Eagles, 73-52.

CSU's history against USC Upstate hit a pause in the early 2000s as the Bucs lined up extensively in conference action, while Upstate was a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference. With the Spartans joining the Big South, the teams have faced off twice annually.

Campbell (5-39)
Gardner-Webb (6-18)
Hampton (4-3)
High Point (14-32)
Longwood (11-12)
Presbyterian (14-16)
Radford (18-58)
UNC Asheville (32-40)
USC Upstate (5-10)
Winthrop (34-41)

Charleston Southern was picked 10th overall in the conference's preseason poll as voted on by the coaches prior to the Big South Media Day. USC Upstate was selected ninth in the preseason poll.

Final Standings
High Point captured the outright Big South regular-season championship at 17-3 (.88750 Ranking Index), and is the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament for the first time since 2014. Campbell is the No. 2 seed after finishing with an 11-4 Big South record (.73725), followed by Longwood (12-6, .72525) at No. 3 -- the Lancers' highest tournament seed as conference members.

Gardner-Webb's .65350 Ranking Index for its 10-7 Big South record earned the Runnin' Bulldogs the No. 4 seed and ahead of No. 5 seed Presbyterian (10-8, .64200).

UNC Asheville (9-10 Big South) and its .59300 Rankings Index for the No. 6 seed. Winthrop earned the No. 7 seed with its 5-15 league record and .43750 rating. USC Upstate is the No. 8 seed at 5-11 (.43475), and Charleston Southern is No. 9 (4-14, .39150). Hampton (4-9 Big South record, .39350 index) would have been the No. 10 seed, but will not compete in the tournament due to a COVID pause. Radford is also on a COVID pause and would have been the No. 6 seed in the tournament.

First round action begins Saturday, March 6 with No. 8 USC Upstate hosting No. 9 Charleston Southern. The winners of each contest advances to Monday's quarterfinal round, which begin at 6:00pm with No. 1 High Point facing the winner of Winthrop/USC Upstate, and No. 2 Campbell hosting the winner of Asheville/Charleston Southern. At 7 p.m., No. 3 Longwood hosts No. 6 Radford, and No. 4 Gardner-Webb welcomes No. 5 Presbyterian. The semifinals are scheduled for Thursday, March 11 at the home site of the higher seed, with the highest remaining seed hosting the Championship game on Sunday, March 14. Contingency plans to complete the tournament are in place and will be implemented as appropriate.

The 2021 Hercules Tires Big South Women's Basketball Championship first round games on March 6 will be broadcast live on ESPN3, as will the quarterfinals on Monday, March 8. The semifinals on Thursday, March 11, and the Championship game on Sunday, March 14, will air on ESPN+. The Big South's Tournament champion receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament.

The Conference Championship schedule is as follows:
First Round – Saturday, March 6 – ESPN3
#9 Charleston Southern at #8 USC Upstate, 2 p.m.

Quarterfinals – Monday, March 8 – ESPN3
#8/9 winner at #1 High Point, 6 p.m.
#5 Presbyterian at #4 Gardner-Webb, 7 p.m.
#7 Winthrop at #2 Campbell, 6 p.m.
#6 UNC Asheville at #3 Longwood, 7 p.m.

Semifinals - Thursday, March 11 – ESPN+
Semifinal Game 1 – 6 p.m.
Semifinal Game 2 – 7 p.m.

Championship - Sunday, March 14 – ESPN+
at highest remaining seed, 2 p.m.
Game times subject to change

About the Bucs
Charleston Southern started off Big South Conference play strong with the Bucs sweeping the opening series on the road against Hampton, before returning to the Field House to take one of two from Presbyterian. Since then, CSU has struggled to hit their stride with losses in 11 of their last 12 games. CSU did salvage a series split at home against UNC Asheville for its fourth Big South win of the season.

Junior forward Alyssia Faye is pacing the Bucs over the last three games averaging 21.0 points and 9.3 rebounds per contest, while senior guard Carmella Walker posted her first collegiate double-double this past weekend against Radford.

CSU Leaders per game

Scoring – Alyssia Faye (11.8)
Rebounding – Alyssia Faye (6.9)
Assists – Janaia Fargo (1.7)
Steals – Sha'Mya Leigh (1.2)
Blocks – Makenna Winans (0.8)
Three-Pointers – Sharita Godfrey (1.6)

About the Spartans
USC Upstate struggled early in Big South play with the Spartans suffering defeats in eight of their first nine conference matchups before topping Hampton on January 16. The Spartans have picked up wins over Winthrop, Hampton, Gardner-Webb, and a series sweep over UNC Asheville this season.

Upstate added nonconference wins over St. Andrews and Flagler, while suffering defeats to Auburn, Alabama, and Old Dominion. Denijsha Wilson (12.3) paces the Spartans' scoring efforts on the season with three USC Upstate players averaging double-digits on the year.

USC Upstate Leaders per game

Scoring – Denijsha Wilson (12.3)
Rebounding – Molly Coleman (6.2)
Assists – Denijsha Wilson (2.5)
Steals – Denijsha Wilson (1.2)
Blocks – Molly Coleman (1.2)
Three-Pointers – Dakota McCaughan (1.5)

Bucs against the Current Field
Charleston Southern has an all-time record of 11-16 against the current conference members in Big South postseason play dating back to the tournament's inception following the 1986-87 season.

Overall against Current Members

Campbell 1-5 L1
High Point 2-1 W1
Longwood 2-1 W2
Presbyterian 0-1 L1
Radford 2-6 L3
UNC Asheville 0-2 L2
USC Upstate 1-0 W1
Winthrop 3-1 L1

Applin's Postseason Record with the Bucs
The Bucs are 5-8 under Applin in Big South postseason play.

Mar. 6, 2013 No. 10 CSU vs. No. 7 Longwood L, 70-63
Mar. 4, 2014 No. 11 CSU vs. No. 6 Coastal Caro. L, 106-71
Mar. 3, 2015 No. 11 CSU vs. No. 6 Presbyterian L, 39-47
Mar. 10, 2016 No. 7 CSU vs. No. 10 Longwood W, 72-50
Mar. 11, 2016 No. 7 CSU vs. No. 2 Liberty L, 68-53
Mar. 10, 2017 No. 5 CSU vs. No. 4 Liberty W, 52-50
Mar. 11, 2017 No. 5 CSU vs. No. 1 Radford L, 53-50
Mar. 8, 2018 No. 8 CSU vs. No. 9 Longwood, W, 72-62
Mar. 9, 2018 No. 8 CSU at No. 1 Liberty, L, 80-53
Mar. 12, 2019 No. 7 CSU vs. No. 10 USC Upstate, W, 67-52
Mar. 14, 2019 No. 7 CSU at No. 2 High Point, W, 65-61
Mar. 15, 2019 No. 7 CSU vs. No. 6 Campbell, L, 55-44
Mar. 10, 2020 No. 11 CSU vs. No. 6 UNC Asheville, L, 82-46

CSU Big South Tournament Wins
The Bucs 15 wins in Big South tournament play have been spread throughout program history. The 2012 win over Campbell was CSU's seventh tournament win, but only the first since 2002.

Prior to 2002, the Bucs had won their first-round games for five straight seasons, including two overtime wins over UMBC and Radford running from 1998-2002.

Overall, the Bucs have completed the upset five times during their tournament history.

Feb. 27, 1988 No. 6 CSU vs. No. 3 Augusta W, 69-61
Mar. 10, 1993 No. 8 CSU vs. No. 9 Winthrop W, 61-57
Mar. 8, 1995 No. 8 CSU vs. No. 9 Winthrop W, 69-50
Mar. 7, 1996 No. 6 CSU vs. No. 3 UMBC W, 60-55
Feb. 26, 1998 No. 4 CSU vs. No. 5 UMBC W (OT), 57-51
Feb. 25, 1999 No. 4 CSU vs. No. 5 Winthrop W, 72-61
Mar. 2, 2000 No. 7 CSU vs. No. 2 Radford W, 75-52
Feb. 28, 2001 No. 3 CSU vs. No. 6 Radford W (OT), 65-60
Feb. 27, 2002 No. 5 CSU vs. No. 4 High Point W, 74-69
Mar. 9, 2012 No. 5 CSU vs. No. 4 Campbell W, 57-53
Mar. 10, 2016 No. 7 CSU vs. No. 10 Longwood W, 72-50
Mar. 9, 2017 No. 5 CSU vs. No. 4 Liberty W, 52-50
Mar. 8, 2018 No. 8 CSU vs. No. 9 Longwood, W, 72-62
Mar. 12, 2019 No. 7 CSU vs. No. 10 USC Upstate, W, 67-52
Mar. 14, 2019 No. 7 CSU at No. 2 High Point, W, 65-61

CSU Semifinal Berths
Charleston Southern has advanced to the semifinals 11 times in program history, 10 times by wins in the quarterfinal round, once due to traveling conditions.

The Buccaneers advanced to the 1989 semifinal round without having to play their opponent in the quarterfinals as No. 2 Augusta suffered an accident en route to the Dedmon Center in Radford, Va. and were not able to play, allowing the Bucs to advance.

All-time, the Bucs are 0-11 in their semifinal games.

Feb. 28, 1988 No. 6 CSU vs. No. 2 Campbell L, 93-80
Feb. 24, 1989 No. 7 CSU vs. No. 3 Campbell L, 89-65
Mar. 8, 1996 No. 6 CSU vs. No. 2 Radford L, 93-75
Feb. 27, 1998 No. 4 CSU vs. No. 1 Liberty L, 64-54
Feb. 26, 1999 No. 4 CSU vs. No. 1 Liberty L, 70-55
Mar. 3, 2000 No. 7 CSU vs. No. 3 Coastal Caro. L, 73-62
Mar. 2, 2001 No. 3 CSU vs. No. 2 Elon L, 67-53
Feb. 28, 2002 No. 5 CSU vs. No. 1 Liberty L, 54-41
Mar. 10, 2012 No. 5 CSU vs. No. 1 Liberty L, 72-52
Mar. 11, 2017 No. 5 CSU vs. No. 1 Radford, L, 53-50
Mar. 15, 2019 No. 7 CSU vs. No. 6 Campbell, L, 55-44

All-Time CSU All-Tournament Team Selections
Charleston Southern has had four players earn All-Tournament Team honors in program history with Kate Sanford earning accolades in the 2000 season, Cesurian Champagne earned the honors in the 2002 season, Alyssa Mann receiving accolades in the 2016 season, and Shelby Wilbanks earning recognition in 2019.

Sanford led the No. 7 Bucs to an upset win over No. 2 Radford in the 2000 tournament in the first round as the Bucs topped the Highlanders 75-52.

Champagne averaged 15.0 ppg and 11.0 rpg in the 2002 tournament, leading the Bucs to a 74-69 win over No. 4 High Point in the quarterfinals, before CSU fell to Liberty in the semifinals.

Mann averaged 18.0 points per game and shot 53.8% from the floor in pacing the Bucs to the Big South quarterfinal round.

Wilbanks averaged 13.0 points and 11.0 rebounds in the Big South Conference Championship run in 2019, including a 14-point, 14-rebound double-double against High Point.

CSU Individual Big South Tournament Records

CSU alum Lakeitha Alston set a Big South Tournament first round record in the 2013 postseason with a conference-record 13 rebounds in the Bucs first round matchup against Longwood.

CSU alum Shay Jones also set a Big South Tournament first round record in the 2013 game against Longwood, connecting on a record four three-pointers in the contest.
Erin Bratcher, a 2014 CSU graduate holds the first-round record in three-point attempts in the Big South tournament, launching up 10 shots from behind the arc in 2014 against Coastal Carolina.
Former CSU great Chrissy Kelly is in a three-way tie for the most steals recorded in a Big South first round game, setting the mark with six thefts in the 1994 tournament against UNC Asheville.

CSU Team Big South Tournament Records

Charleston Southern jacked up 80 shots in the quarterfinals of the 1995 postseason against UNC Greensboro, setting the Big South quarterfinal record in the process for field goal attempts in a game
CSU has proven to be one of the top free throw shooting teams in Big South postseason play, setting the record for free throw percentage in both first-round games and the semifinals.
The Bucs set a first-round record in 1995 against Winthrop, hitting 81.3% (13-16) of their free throw attempts.
CSU set the semifinal record in the 1996 season against Radford, hitting 17-19 (89.5%) of their shots from the line.
Known for their up-tempo play, the Bucs hold multiple three-point records in the Big South postseason tournament including three-pointers in a game and attempts.
The Bucs connected on a tournament-record seven three-pointers in their first-round game against Longwood in 2003
CSU also holds the semifinals three-point record with 12 made against Liberty in 2012
The Bucs hold the overall tournament record with 37 three-pointers attempted in that 2012 contest against the Flames
CSU also holds the first -round record with 26 three-point attempts against Longwood set in 2013
No surprise here, the Bucs also hold the record for three-pointers made in a half in a first-round game, connecting on four against both Longwood (2013) and Coastal Carolina (2014) in the past two seasons
On the glass, CSU is in a three-way tie for the most offensive rebounds snagged in a first-round game as the Bucs pulled down 22 in their 1993 matchup against Winthrop.

Beyond the Big South Tournament
Charleston Southern has played in three postseason tournaments beyond the Big South Championships, lining up in the Women's Basketball Invitational twice under former head coach Julie Goodenough and once under head coach Fred Applin.

The Bucs took on Appalachian State in 2010 and traveled to Minnesota in 2012, falling to both opponents in the first round of each tournament. The Bucs hosted UNC Greensboro in 2016, falling to the Spartans at home in the Buccaneer Field House.