CHARLESTON, S.C. - Alyssa Mann reached the 20 point mark for the fifth game this season and Monique Maximilien recorded her fourth double-double of the year as Charleston Southern topped Western Carolina on Tuesday night heading into Christmas break, 80-59.

Mann shot 9-of-14 from the field to pace a CSU (6-5) offensive output as the Bucs shot 46.8% from the floor in their sixth home win of the 2015 season in the Buc Dome. Mann finished the contest with 22 points, five assists and added three steals in the win.

"We shot the ball well in several games this season," said CSU head coach Fred Applin. "We shot 47% at Virginia on Friday night. I really feel like if we can shoot like that, we are going to be in a lot of games. We had two days of really hard practice getting ready for this and I think our team really learned something.

Maximilien added 12 points and 12 rebounds as the senior center played a team-high 30 minutes in the victory for her fourth double-double of the year, while Rachel Burns scored a season-high 17 points in her fifth start of the season.

"Rachel (Burns) stepped up for us big tonight," said Applin. "She really played well. Nayla (Long) and Mo (Maximilien) played really well tonight. It was just a team effort all around. We did a great job on D and boxed out well. This is the way we need to play, especially because we've done it a few times now. This team is really coming together."

CSU's defensive efforts carried the Bucs in the game as CSU forced 22 Western Carolina (3-8) turnovers in building a 19-3 advantage in points off turnovers in the game.

"We had a few players really step up defensively in this game," Applin commented. "I was really proud of them. Going into Big South play, if we want to be successful, we need to be consistent. Night in and night out, we need to get the same level of effort every night. It's a long season and we are just in the thick of it now. We can still improve and get better."

The Buccaneers return to Big South Conference play coming out of the Christmas break as CSU returns to the road on Tuesday, December 29, with the trip up to Farmville, Va., to take on Longwood University. Tipoff between the Bucs and the Lancers is set for 7 p.m. on the Big South Network.

CSU held the Catamounts scoreless over the first 4:52 of the game in building a 10-0 advantage out of the gates in the first quarter. Maximilien scored the first four points of the game, while Mann added six points from the floor as the Bucs held the 20-14 lead after the first quarter.

The Catamounts fought to keep the game within reach in the second quarter, bringing the game within five at 24-19 following the Raziyah Farrington layup at the 7:28 mark. The Bucs responded with a 9-0 run to increase their lead back to double-digits with Shauntavia Dobson drilling the long three-pointer during the stretch. CSU's lead reached 17 just before the break on the Mann jumper, before WCU's Lindsey Burleson sent the teams into the half with a layup.

The Bucs' lead again reached 17 in the third quarter following the Burns' layup and free throw as CSU held on to a double-digit lead throughout the frame.

Western Carolina narrowed the margin down to 14 at the 8:10 mark on a Burleson layup, but that was it for the Catamounts on the afternoon as CSU built a 21 point lead following a late Georgia Elliott-King layup on their way to cruising to the victory.

Ace Easter led the Catamounts with 15 points from the floor, while Burleson had a double-double off the bench for WCU with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Farrington was also in double-digits with 10 points.