CHARLESTON, S.C. – Charleston Southern women's basketball begins a two-game road trip Saturday afternoon when it heads to Western Carolina for a 4 p.m. tip against the Catamounts.
 
Game Details
Saturday, November 20
Charleston Southern (0-2) at Western Carolina (2-1)
4 p.m. * Cullowhee, N.C. * Liston B. Ramsey Center * Live Stats * Watch
Game Notes: Charleston Southern | Western Carolina
 
Last Time Out
Tori Gittens scored a career-high 18 points in CSU's home opener, but George Mason used a balanced attack to down the Buccaneers, 64-55.
 
Sharita Godfrey and Sha'Mya Leigh added 10 points each fort eh Bucs, who outscored George Mason 19-7 in the fourth quarter. Skylar Baltezegar grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds in her first career start, while Madison Adamson had seven boards, five assists and four steals.
 
New Year, New Look
Charleston Southern enters a new era of women's basketball, with Clarisse Garcia beginning her first season as head coach. In addition to Garcia, the entire coaching staff, consisting of Stephanie Stoglin-Reed, Ashley Jones and Jordan Kyles, all enters year one in the Lowcountry.
 
With a new staff comes a new system, and the Bucs have embraced a style of play that Garcia has described as "fast, fun and fierce." CSU will also feature five newcomers on its roster this season in freshmen Skylar Baltezegar, Jordan Rogers and Madison Adamson, and transfers Victoria Dames and Zaire Hicks.
 
Veteran Presence
CSU returns four of its five starters from last season, including nearly all of its offensive production from the 2020-21 team. Alyssia Faye was the Bucs' leading scorer and rebounder last season, ranking inside the top 15 in the Big South in both scoring and rebounding at 11.9 points and 7.1 boards per game.
 
Sharita Godfrey is also back for her senior season after finishing third on the team in scoring (9.6 points per game) and second in rebounding (5.3 rebounds per game), while leading the team in 3-point percentage at 44.0 percent from beyond the arc.
 
Janaia Fargo, Sha'Mya Leigh and Makenna Winans all spent time in the starting rotation last season, and all three are back this season and expected to play significant roles within the CSU lineup.
 
 
The starting five in CSU's season opener at Alabama consisted of two seniors (Godfrey, Faye), two juniors (Gittens, Leigh) and a freshman (Adamson). Godfrey, Gittens, Leigh and Adamson were joined by Skylar Baltezegar in the starting lineup against George Mason.
 
Out of the Gate
Sha'Mya Leigh jumped out to a quick start in the season opener at Alabama, scoring each of the Bucs' first seven points .
 
Leigh led the Bucs with nine points in the contest and her seven first-half points were the most by a Buccaneer in either half against the Crimson Tide. She recorded her first double-figure scoring game of the season against George Mason, finishing with 10 points.
 
Deadeye
Sharita Godfrey had a shooting percentage under 30 percent from beyond the arc prior to the 2020-21 season, but that changed quickly.
 
Godfrey emerged as the top 3-point weapon for the Buccaneers last season, making a career-best 37 3-pointers while shooting a team-leading 44.0 percent from long range.
 
Chasing the Pack
Charleston Southern was picked to finish last in the Big South Preseason Poll, which was voted on by the head coaches in the conference. The Buccaneers received 18 points in the poll.
 
Scouting Western Carolina
Western Carolina enters the weekend at 2-1 overall. The Catamounts are playing their third consecutive contest against a Big South opponent in Charleston Southern. WCU lost to UNC Asheville in overtime and defeated Presbyterian on a last-second shot in their first two games against Big South competition.
 
Kylie Hill enters his third season in charge of the Catamounts, having led the program to its most wins in five years during the 2020-21 season. The Catamounts also return five of their top six scorers from last year, with each of those players having started more than 10 games during the 2020-21 season.
 
Series Breakdown
Saturday's game marks the 12th all-time meeting between the Buccaneers and Catamounts. Western Carolina has a 9-2 lead in the all-time series and is undefeated against CSU when playing in Cullowhee (6-0).
 
CSU defeated WCU last season in Charleston, 66-56, using a balanced offense to outpace the Catamounts. Janaia Fargo and Sha'Mya Leigh each cracked double-figures in the win for the Bucs, who limited Western Carolina to just 25 points in the first half.
 
Coming Up on the Schedule
Charleston Southern closes its two-game road trip at Auburn Friday afternoon at 1 p.m.
 
Charleston Southern's Next Five Games

• November 26 at Auburn
• November 29 vs. Belmont Abbey
• December 2 vs. College of Charleston
• December 5 at Florida State
• December 16 vs. Furman

 
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