SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Charleston Southern saw its season come to an end on Saturday afternoon as the No. 9 Buccaneers fell on the road in the 2021 Hercules Tires Big South Women's Basketball First Round matchup at No. 8 USC Upstate, 72-64.

The Buccaneers (6-17) were unable to overcome the Spartans' strong second and third quarter stretch as Upstate (8-14) went on a 45-22 run over the 20-minute span on their way to building an 18-point lead. CSU mounted a series rally over the final 10 minutes with the Bucs outscoring USC Upstate 26-16 down the stretch.

CSU went on a 16-4 run over a six-minute stretch in the fourth quarter to narrow the Spartans' lead down to 67-61 with 1:13 remaining as Tori Gittens connected on a key three-pointer. USC Upstate responded with Molly Coleman drive in for a layup to put the lead back to a three-possession game with 43 seconds remaining.

Carmella Walker added a late three-pointer in CSU's final comeback attempt, but the Spartans hit three of their last four from the free throw line to secure the win.

Walker paced the Bucs with a career-high 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting as the senior guard capped her CSU career on Saturday afternoon. Alyssia Faye added a 15-point, 12-rebound double-double, while Tori Gittens hit 3-of-6 from the three-point line to finish with nine points.

Dnijsha Wilson paced all players with 21 points on 6-of-12 shooting, while Dakota McCaughan added a 20-point performance highlighted by six three-pointers. Coleman added 17 points and six rebounds in the win.

First Quarter
Carmella Walker scored eight of CSU's 16 points in the opening quarter as the Buccaneers took the early lead in the contest. The senior guard connected on a pair of three-pointers, including one with 41 seconds remaining in the quarter to extend CSU's lead to 16-11 heading into the quarter break.

Second Quarter
The Spartans steadily took control of the second quarter as USC Upstate went ahead 20-18 with 6:31 remaining in the half following Dakota McCaughan's three-pointer. Sharita Godfrey swung the lead back to the Bucs with a three-pointer of her own, before Barrett Herring and Jada Logan connected on back-to-back layups to swing the advantage back to the home team. The Spartans scored five of the first six points of the quarter with McCaughan again hitting a three-pointer to sent the teams into the half with CSU trailing 30-26.

Third Quarter
USC Upstate went ahead by double-digits with 6:39 remaining in the frame as McCaughan continued to connect from outside putting the Spartans ahead 40-30. McCaughan continued to hit late as her final three-pointer of the quarter came just before the break and gave USC Upstate the 56-38 lead.

Fourth Quarter
The Bucs mounted a late comeback in the fourth quarter as CSU narrowed the gap down to within single digits, before ultimately coming up short in the loss.

CSU Key Players

• Carmella Walker – 19 points, 7-of-15 FG, five rebounds, four assists, four steals
• Alyssia Faye – 15 points, 12 rebounds, 7-of-14 FG
• Tori Gittens – Nine points, 3-of-6 3PT, one blocked shot
• Janaia Fargo – Six points, 3-of-5 FG, two assists, one steal

Inside the Numbers

• Charleston Southern shot 46.3% (25-of-54) from the floor, 40.0% (8-of-20) from the three-point line, and 60.0% (6-of-10) from the free throw line in the loss.
• USC Upstate shot 41.9% (26-of-62) from the floor, 47.1% (8-of-17) from the three-point line, and 75.0% (12-of-16) from the free throw line in the win.
• ­The Buccaneers held the 14-5 edge in bench scoring and the 16-7 advantage in points off turnovers.
• USC upstate held the 32-30 edge in points in the paint.

News & Notes

• Saturday's contest at USC Upstate marked the final collegiate games for CSU's Carmella Walker, Anna Webster, and Kelsie Ruff.
• Walker saved her best game for last as the New Smyrna Beach, Fla. native set new career marks in points (19) and field goals made (7).
• Alyssia Faye saw her 20-point scoring streak come to an end, but the Valence, France native posted her third double-double of the season in the season finale.
• Faye's 12 rebounds marked a season-high for the redshirt junior forward.