NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (Interstat) — Charleston Southern dominated South Carolina State 84-44 in a nonconference men’s basketball game Monday night at CSU Field House. The Buccaneers led 33-20 at halftime and accelerated after the break, outscoring the Bulldogs 51-24 in the second half. The victory improved Charleston Southern to 7-5 this season, while South Carolina State remained winless at 0-10. An announced crowd of 854 watched the Buccaneers control the game throughout. The Bulldogs have now lost 10 consecutive games to open the season.

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (Interstat) — Charleston Southern turned a tight first half into a decisive second-half rout, cruising past winless South Carolina State 84-44 in a nonconference men’s basketball game Monday night at CSU Field House. The Buccaneers, who led 33-20 at halftime, exploded for 51 points after the break while holding the Bulldogs to 24, turning a 13-point advantage into a 40-point victory in front of an announced crowd of 854. The most important stretch of the game came early in the second half, when Charleston Southern decisively extinguished any lingering hope for South Carolina State. After the Bulldogs’ Cameron Clark opened the half with a layup to cut the deficit to 11, the Buccaneers responded with a devastating 11-0 run over the next two and a half minutes. The surge was fueled by Jesse Hafemeister, who hit a 3-pointer and a layup, and Jacob Taylor, who added a 3-pointer of his own. That burst pushed the lead to 44-22 and established a tone of complete dominance that Charleston Southern would maintain for the remainder of the contest. Brycen Blaine led a balanced Charleston Southern attack with a game-high 18 points. A’lahn Sumler added 14 points, and Jesse Hafemeister finished with 12. The Buccaneers improved to 7-5 on the season. South Carolina State, which fell to 0-10, was led by Owen Bronston’s eight points. Jayden Johnson added six points off the bench. The Bulldogs struggled offensively throughout, a continuation of a season-long trend that has seen them lose each of their first 10 games by an average of over 23 points. The first half was a sloppy affair defined more by missed shots and turnovers than fluid offense. Charleston Southern built its initial lead primarily at the free-throw line, capitalizing on South Carolina State fouls and a technical foul on the Bulldogs’ bench. The Buccaneers led by as many as 15 in the opening period before settling for the 13-point halftime margin. Any notion of a South Carolina State comeback was swiftly erased by Charleston Southern’s explosive start to the second half. The Buccaneers shot significantly better after halftime and consistently generated easy looks in transition off of Bulldogs turnovers and missed shots. The lead ballooned past 20 points within five minutes of the restart and continued to grow as Charleston Southern’s reserves saw extended action in the final minutes. The victory was a return to form for Charleston Southern following a road loss to Tennessee-Martin last week. The Buccaneers will next host North Florida on Dec. 18. South Carolina State’s search for its first win continues. The Bulldogs have lost 12 consecutive games dating back to last season and will try again on Friday at Queens University of Charlotte. The game’s final margin easily covered the pregame spread, which had Charleston Southern favored by 10 points. The combined score of 128 points fell well under the over/under line of 151.

Preview: South Carolina State Bulldogs at Charleston Southern Buccaneers NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (Interstat) — The Charleston Southern Buccaneers, riding a potent offense, will host the struggling South Carolina State Bulldogs in a nonconference men’s basketball matchup Monday night at CSU Field House. The Buccaneers (6-5) enter having won four of their last five, including a record-setting 124-63 rout of Warren Wilson on Thursday. In that game, sophomore guard Armari Carraway exploded for a career-high 36 points in just 21 minutes, showcasing the explosive potential of a Charleston Southern squad averaging 88.5 points per game in its victories. Carraway, a player to watch for the home team, has been inconsistent but spectacular at times, also scoring 24 points in a win over IU Indy on Nov. 18. His performance often fuels an offense that includes Jesse Hafemeister and facilitator Luke Williams, who dished out 13 assists against Warren Wilson. Conversely, South Carolina State (0-9) is still searching for its first win under first-year coach. The Bulldogs are coming off a 59-80 loss at Bethune-Cookman on Friday, their ninth consecutive defeat to open the season. They have faced a difficult early schedule, with road losses at Louisville, Missouri and South Carolina. A bright spot for the Bulldogs has been the play of guard Christopher Parker, who scored 14 points against Bethune-Cookman and 13 in a loss at Winthrop last week. He and Cameron Clark will need to provide significant offensive production to keep pace with Charleston Southern’s high-scoring attack. Defensive struggles have plagued South Carolina State, which has allowed an average of 87.2 points per game during its losing streak. Containing Carraway and the Buccaneers’ transition game will be a primary challenge. Historically, this intrastate matchup has been closely contested. Charleston Southern will look to use its home court and offensive firepower to continue its positive momentum, while South Carolina State aims to find a winning formula and secure a desperately needed victory to turn its season around. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. EST.