CHARLESTON, S.C. - Charleston Southern is back in action this weekend in their final contest before the fall exam break as the Buccaneers welcome NCCAA Division I foe Virginia University of Lynchburg to the Buccaneer Field House on Saturday afternoon as a part of a Saturday basketball doubleheader.
The Bucs women's basketball team tips off against the Dragons at 3 p.m. on ESPN+, while the men's basketball team hosts North Carolina Central with tipoff scheduled for 5:30 p.m. It is the first of three doubleheaders for the Buccaneers this season with the other two scheduled for conference play following the New Year.
Toys for Tots Drive
Charleston Southern Athletics is hosting a Toys for Tots drive at Saturday's games. All fans who bring a brand new toy will be given one free ticket to one of the home games this weekend.
Student Ornament Giveaway
Charleston Southern students will be able to pick up a special CSU 'Bucky' Christmas ornament at Saturday's game while supplies last.
It's a first time affair between the Buccaneers and the Dragons as the teams have never lined up against each other in either program's history. The Bucs have topped previous NCCAA foes over the last few years, including Columbia International (2015 & 2017), Erskine (2017 & 2018), and Southern Wesleyan (2016 & 2017).
Saturday also marks the second first-time opponent the Bucs are welcoming to the Buc Dome this season. The Bucs previously welcomed North Dakota for the first time to the Field House on November 30 with CSU falling to the visiting Fighting Hawks, 73-57.
The Bucs are in the midst of a favorable home stretch with four of the next five games scheduled to take place inside the Buccaneer Field House. The Bucs are home against VUL (Dec. 7), Columbia (S.C.) (Dec. 16), College of Charleston (Dec. 20), and Gardner-Webb (Dec. 31), while opening Big South play on December 28 at USC Upstate.
Kelsie Ruff has been a revelation since joining the starting lineup two games ago. The junior guard is averaging a team-high 17.5 points per game over the stretch, including a career-high 18 points on Wednesday against Western Carolina. Ruff and
Carmella Walker are also pacing the Bucs' defensive efforts with 1.8 steals per game apiece with CSU posting double-digit steal efforts in each of the last three games.
Sophomore wing
Sharita Godfrey sits among the Big South's scoring (11.0) and rebounding (6.0) per game leaders so far in the early 2019-20 season.
Up Next
CSU remains at home following a nine-day hiatus as the Buccaneers host Columbia (S.C.) in the Buccaneer Field House on Monday, December 16. Tipoff between CSU and the Fighting Koalas is set for 7 p.m.
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