CHARLESTON – Sunday afternoon, a week after their tight battle with the Furman Paladins, Charleston Southern traveled to Richmond, Virginia for a contest with the Spiders. Just three days before Big South Conference play, the Sunday affair with Richmond would serve as CSU's non-conference finale.
A three-pointer by Jesse Hafemeister marked the first points of the game, and the Bucs would never trail in the first half. A Buccaneer from the city of Richmond, Brycen Blaine, enjoyed a memorable homecoming, recording 17 first-half points, including all five of his three-pointers in the contest.
Richmond would take their first lead of the game with 15:08 remaining (45-43). The next seven minutes were incredibly competitive, with the score margin never exceeding two points for either team until A'lahn Sumler drained a three-pointer, giving the Bucs a four-point cushion (59-55). Reigning Big South Freshman of the Week Jacob Taylor, along with fellow underclassman Devin Brafford, combined for the next six points to extend CSU's lead to 10 (65-55).
Later, the Spiders converted a three-pointer to make it a two-possession game, but with only 24 seconds remaining, their comeback hopes fell short – Charleston Southern defeating the Atlantic 10's Richmond Spiders, 77-72.
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Notables:
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The Richmond-native, Brycen Blaine would post a 23-point, 7-rebound stat line – including a team-high 5 made threes.
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A'lahn Sumler and Jesse Hafemeister also finished in double-figures, scoring 15 and 12 respectively.
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CSU held the Spiders to a 33.9% shooting percentage, their worst shooting performance of the season.
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Up Next:
The Bucs will begin conference play in just three days on December 31st against a program they swept last season for the first time in school history, Gardner-Webb. CSU will face off against the Runnin' Bulldogs at 2:00 PM on ESPN+.
To see a full sit-down conversation with Coach Nimley discussing the Bucs' next opponents and previous game recaps, watch the "2025-2026 Nimley Coaches Show" on CSUsports.com, X/Twitter, or YouTube.
For all the most up-to-date coverage involving CSU Men's Basketball, follow us on Instagram and X/Twitter @csu_mbball.
