Charleston Southern University’s women’s basketball team achieved a significant victory over USC Upstate, winning 85-62 at the G.B. Hodge Center in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The Buccaneers improved their record to 7-15 overall and 5-4 in conference play, while USC Upstate fell to 6-17 overall and 1-8 in the conference.
Charleston Southern delivered one of its most efficient offensive performances in program history, shooting 56.5 percent from three-point range by making 13 out of 23 attempts. This performance marks the second-highest team three-point percentage in a single game for the program. The Buccaneers led for nearly the entire contest, holding an advantage for more than 38 minutes.
The game began with Charleston Southern executing well on offense, shooting over 42 percent from the field and hitting four of five three-pointers to take a six-point lead after the first quarter. Tyonna Bailey contributed early by making her first three shots from beyond the arc. In the second quarter, CSU increased its lead by outscoring USC Upstate 21-13 and maintained a halftime advantage of 41-27.
After halftime, Charleston Southern extended its control with a strong third quarter, scoring 23 points on over 61 percent shooting from the field. Bailey and Caelan Ellis combined for thirteen points during this period. The Buccaneers continued their efficiency into the fourth quarter, adding another twenty-one points while limiting their opponent to fifteen.
Individually, Tyonna Bailey led all scorers with twenty-eight points on nine-for-twenty-one shooting and collected nine rebounds. “Tyonna Bailey led the team in scoring for the tenth time this season with 28 points. Tonight was the eighth time Bailey surpassed the 20-point mark this year.” Caelan Ellis added twenty-one points and three assists, marking her third game this season surpassing twenty points. Asha Sra recorded her second career double-double with twelve points and eleven rebounds—her career high—and nearly reached a triple-double by contributing eight assists.
USC Upstate’s Cassie Gallagher scored seventeen points while Aubrie Kierscht finished with thirteen.
Charleston Southern finished with fifty point eight percent shooting from the field and made ten out of seventeen free throws. The team also had thirty-six rebounds and sixteen assists on thirty-one made baskets. Defensively, CSU forced turnovers that resulted in a twenty-to-four edge in points off turnovers and outscored USC Upstate twenty-eight to sixteen in paint scoring.
A decisive moment came early in the fourth quarter when Charleston Southern used an eleven-point run to turn their lead into a commanding margin.
Charleston Southern will continue Big South Conference play on Wednesday, February 4 when they host UNC Asheville at home at Buc Dome at six p.m.
For updates on Charleston Southern women’s basketball, fans can follow @CSUBucsWBB on X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram or visit www.CSUSports.com.
