Charleston Southern Buccaneers Face UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros in 2024 Greenbrier Tip-Off

The Charleston Southern Buccaneers are set to face the UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros in the first round of the 2024 Greenbrier Tip-Off at Colonial Hall in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, on Friday, November 15.

Both teams enter the game with a 1-2 record. The Vaqueros, who are transitioning to the Southland Conference this season after finishing 6-25 overall and 2-18 in the Western Athletic Conference last year, are coming off a significant 110-60 win over Champion Baptist on Sunday. In contrast, the Buccaneers, who tied for fifth in the Big South Conference last season with a 10-20 overall record, recently secured a 108-50 victory over Morris on Monday[1][2].

Key players for the Vaqueros include senior guard Cliff Davis, who is averaging 14.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. Another significant contributor is senior DK Thorn, who has averaged 11.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.3 steals in his first season with the program after spending five seasons at Alcorn State[1].

For the Buccaneers, senior forward Taje’ Kelly is a standout performer, averaging 18.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game, with a notable 64.7% field goal percentage and 50% from 3-point range. Junior guard Daylen Berry, in his first season with Charleston Southern after two years at Charlotte, is also a key player, averaging 10.3 points, 3.7 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.3 steals per game[1].

The betting odds favor the Vaqueros by 2.5 to 3 points, with the over/under for total points ranging from 154 to 155.5. SportsLine‘s model predicts the game to go under the total, projecting 144 combined points, and suggests an against-the-spread pick that cashes in well over 60% of simulations[1][2].

The game is scheduled to tip off at 1:00 PM ET, marking the first meeting between the two teams. The outcome is expected to be closely contested, with both teams looking to build momentum early in the season[1][2][4].