CHARLESTON – Friday afternoon, the Buccaneers suited up for the quarterfinal round of this year's Air Force Reserves Big South Championship tournament. Their opponent, the No. 2-seeded Winthrop Eagles. A late surge by the Eagles would secure the Winthrop win, 86-81.

Charleston Southern came out with early energy as the Buccaneers set the tone on the opening possessions. After a Winthrop miss to begin the game, Jacob Taylor buried a three-pointer to ignite the CSU offense. The Bucs quickly built momentum, taking a 7–1 lead into the first media timeout while holding Winthrop to just a single early point.

Winthrop began to settle in after the break, converting at the free throw line and finding offense from Kody Clouet and Kareem Rozier. The Eagles received an additional boost when Logan Duncomb entered the game and helped push Winthrop briefly in front with a pair of free throws.

The lead changed hands as both teams traded baskets, but Charleston Southern responded with one of its strongest stretches of the half. The Buccaneers strung together a 14–2 run, fueled by aggressive offensive possessions and strong defensive pressure, to regain control heading toward the under-eight timeout.

Jaquias Franklin extended the run with baskets on consecutive CSU possessions before Winthrop countered with a 9–0 push of its own behind Clouet and Duncomb. Charleston Southern halted the momentum when A'lahn Sumler knocked down a free throw to steady the Bucs.

Late in the half, Brycen Blaine–who made his first on-court appearance since February 4th–calmly converted two free throws to give CSU a three-point advantage. Winthrop briefly reclaimed the lead after baskets from Ed Nnamoko and Daylen Berry, but Charleston Southern answered in the closing moments. Jesse Hafemeister connected from beyond the arc, giving the Buccaneers the edge heading into halftime with a three-point lead.

Winthrop opened the second half at the free throw line, but Charleston Southern responded immediately. Hafemeister scored inside and Luke Williams followed with a three-pointer as the Buccaneers continued to pressure the Eagles offensively.

A key moment came when Nate Brafford finished through contact for an and-one opportunity that extended CSU's lead entering the under-16 media timeout. Charleston Southern continued to push the tempo, maintaining its advantage despite Winthrop attempts to chip away.

Winthrop mounted a strong run midway through the second half, tying the game at 57 before briefly taking the lead on a three-pointer from Tommy Kamarad. The Eagles continued their surge with another Duncomb basket, but the Buccaneers quickly regrouped.

CSU responded with timely plays down the stretch. Jacob Taylor delivered a crucial rebound and putback, while Reis Jones later powered inside for a go-ahead layup during a pivotal stretch. Hafemeister added another driving basket that pushed Charleston Southern back in front with under four minutes to play.

The Buccaneers extended the margin with free throws from Sumler and a powerful dunk by Jones as the game entered its final moments.

Despite Charleston Southern's late push, turnovers in the closing seconds allowed Winthrop to regain the lead with just over 20 seconds remaining. The Buccaneers had one final opportunity, but a step out of bounds prevented the last shot attempt as the Eagles secured the win at the free throw line.

Charleston Southern showed resilience throughout the contest, delivering several key runs and late-game plays, but ultimately fell just short in a tightly contested rivalry battle.

Notables:

• Reis Jones needed one block to become the new Single Season Blocks record holder. Friday afternoon, he recorded 2 swats – achieving the milestone.

• The starting backcourt duo of A'lahn Sumler and Luke Williams would combine for 40 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists.

• Heading into post-season play, Nate Brafford needed six points to achieve 500 for his collegiate career. He scored six exactly.

• Lase Olalere recorded 3 blocked shots–finishing the season with a total of 48. That total now ranks 4th all-time in CSU history.

• Charleston Southern finished their 2025-26 campaign with 15 total wins, the highest total since the 2018-19 season.

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