CHARLESTON, S.C. - Charleston Southern is back in action after an 11-day hiatus as the Buccaneers women's basketball team welcomes Bethune-Cookman to the Buc Dome for a Tuesday night showdown prior to the Thanksgiving Break.

CSU WBB Game Notes - vs Bethune-Cookman
 
The Buccaneers (0-3) have been off since November 15 when CSU started the 2019-20 season with a trio of games over the opening 10 days of competition. CSU fell in a pair of road games at Florida State (88-36) and North Carolina (85-54), while dropping an overtime contest in their lone home game this season to S.C. State (81-75).
 
The home opener against South Carolina State was CSU's first of two home games against the MEAC this season. CSU led the contest throughout the first three quarters thanks to a strong performance from junior guard Carmella Walker (18 points, eight rebounds). S.C. State battled back in the fourth quarter with Zeleria Simpson's jumper tying the game up late in regulation to send the game into overtime.
 
The Bucs were unable to hold off the late Bulldogs' run despite a three-pointer from Tori Gittens and a Walker layup as CSU fell to S.C. State, 81-75.
 
CSU is looking to bounce back from the tough opening stretch that saw the Bucs drop contests to a pair of ACC powers in Florida State and North Carolina. The Bucs enter a favorable schedule over the next month with five of their next six games scheduled to be hosted in the Buc Dome before starting Big South play on December 28.
 
Walker and sophomore wing Sharita Godfrey have paced the Bucs' scoring efforts this season with the duo averaging 12.7 points per game apiece. Walker has recorded back-to-back double-digit scoring efforts with 18 against S.C. State and 13 against North Carolina. Godfrey is also coming off back-to-back scoring efforts with 15 against the Bulldogs and 14 against the Tar Heels.
 
Godfrey (7.0) and Walker (5.0) also sit among the team's rebounding leaders this season, while Tori Gittens has added to the mix with 3.3 rebounds per game. Walker leads the team with five steals, while Godfrey paces the Bucs with three blocked shots.
 
CSU's starting lineup has been consistent throughout the year with Walker, Godfrey, Sha'Mya Leigh, and Tyra Wright starting all three games this season. Tori Gittens joined the starting lineup over the last two games following a season-ending injury suffered by senior guard Anna Webster.
 
The Bucs currently sit among the national leaders in two separate categories this season as CSU boasts a pair of top-10 appearances in fouls and turnovers. CSU is sixth in the NCAA in fewest turnovers allowed with 44 on the season. The Bucs are also currently eighth overall in fewest fouls with 50.
 
CSU faces another difficult task on Tuesday night as Bethune-Cookman makes their fifth trip to the Buc Dome and first since 2009. The Bucs have won all four matchups in Charleston against the Wildcats with CSU topping BCU in 1986 (82-62), 1999 (61-48), 2006 (66-46) and 2009 (90-72).
 
The Wildcats (3-0) boast an impressive resume heading into Tuesday's game after being selected second overall in the MEAC's preseason poll. Bethune-Cookman received eight first-place votes and 215 points overall to finish behind preseason favorite N.C. A&T.
 
So far this season, BCU boasts wins over Edward Waters (79-46), Florida International (65-60), and Georgia Southern (75-57). CSU is the lone Big South team on the Wildcats schedule this season.
 
Daniela Hatcher leads three BCU players in double-digit scoring this season with 15.0 points per game, while Amaya Scott (12.0) and Tatum Hayes (11.0) are also among the team's scoring leaders on the year. Scott is also among the rebounding leaders with 7.3 boards per game.
 
Up Next
Charleston Southern remains at home this weekend as the Buccaneers welcome North Dakota to the Buc Dome on Saturday, November 30. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. on ESPN+.