Charleston Southern’s three-point shooters impress UNC

When Charleston Southern took on No. 4 North Carolina, the Tar Heels ended the day with a 76-67 victory. But CSU didn’t leave the Smith Center empty handed.

They walked away with a new record.

The first score for the Buccaneers was a three-point basket from forward Kelsey Wasmer. And little did UNC know, there would be much more where that came from.

Charleston Southern sank 17 of 48 three-point shots, a record number of both made and attempted for any North Carolina opponent in program history.

For Charleston Southern, the abundance of three-pointers wasn’t just a fluke. It has consistently been the team’s No. 1 weapon.

“There were probably five ill-advised threes that we took,” CSU coach Julie Goodenough said. “But other than that, I would have given them the green light to take the ones that they did. That is a big part of our game. I think we have some excellent three-point shooters, and that’s obviously what we’re looking for.”

Prior to Sunday’s matchup, the Buccaneers averaged 10.2 three-pointers per game so far this season. Against the Tar Heels, they realized this statistic was their opportunity to stay in the game, so they ran with it.

Charleston Southern started the game with five consecutive threes until Wasmer struck again with the team’s first two-point shot after almost eight minutes of play. Wasmer finished the game 5-11 from the three-point line, and teammate Katie Tull went 6-16.

“They have some kids that can shoot the ball, and that makes a big difference,” North Carolina head coach Sylvia Hatchell said. “We did make some adjustments defensively, and that helped. From the three they shot 35 (percent), so that’s their game.”

Long rebounds after missed three-point shots from the Buccaneers also plagued UNC. Charleston Southern outrebounded the Tar Heels offensively 24-17 and trailed by only three in total rebounds.

“The biggest thing for us was the rebounding,” Hatchell said. “We’ve got to do a better job there. A game like this is probably good for us, and it’s going to give them some confidence, because they’re a very good team.”

CSU’s percentage from behind the arc (35.4) was higher than their overall field goal percentage (29.6). In contrast, North Carolina was 0-4 from behind the line in the first half and ended the game with 10 percent three-point accuracy.

“I was just hoping that our players would come in with courage and confidence and just give their very best effort,” Goodenough said. “Obviously, in a situation like this we’re the underdog and we don’t have anything to lose, and there’s no reason to go out and not play your very best.”



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