Nov. 20, 2008

Final Stats | Photo Gallery

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Two 3-pointers from freshman Kendra Wallace (Hurricane, W.Va./Nitro) in a span of 1:06 keyed 10 straight points by the USC Upstate women's basketball team in the second half, helping the team secure a 87-70 win over Charleston Southern on Thursday night at the Hodge Center. The win improves the Spartans to 3-0 for the first time since the then-Lady Rifles won their first eight to start the 1994-95 season.

Wallace led the Spartans with 20 points, hitting a DI-era record five 3-pointers and adding a 5-of-6 performance at the free throw line. Wallace also posted seven rebounds in a game-high 32 minutes. Sophomore Chelsea McMillan (Quincy, Fla./Santa Fe (Fla.) C.C.) added 18 points, five rebounds and three blocks and junior Courtney Hawkins (Greer, S.C./Greer) added 11 points and two rebounds in 20 minutes.

The Spartans also once again got plenty of production off the bench, as it provided 28 points, including nine each from freshmen Lesley Daniel (Collinwood, Tenn./Collinwood) and Chelsey Peterson (Irmo, S.C./Dutch Fork). Daniel added five assists and two rebounds in 22 minutes and Peterson posted seven rebounds, five assists and two steals. Junior Kolesia Richardson (Mary Esther, Fla./Santa Fe (Fla.) C.C.) added six assists and three rebounds and sophomore Brittany Johnson (Tulsa, Okla./Allen C.C.) posted six points, three rebounds and two blocks.

"Our newcomers have made a major impact," Upstate head coach Tammy George said, "especially No. 21 (McMillan). She gives us a presence inside and she opens things up for Kendra, who can be pretty deadly. Each night, I think, it has been somebody different, but it's been that inside-outside attack. I can't say enough about the newcomers. They've stepped in and contributed right away."

A 3-pointer from Wallace and a jumper from sophomore Sam Frost (Baltimore, Md./North Greenville University) helped Upstate take a 5-2 lead at the first media timeout. The two teams battled closely for the first eight minutes, as a jumper by Kelsey Wasmer gave the Lady Buccaneers (1-2) a 12-11 lead. A 3-pointer from Hawkins ignited the Spartans on 14-5 run that was capped by another trey from Wallace, giving the Spartans a 25-16 lead with 7:47 remaining. Pam Tolbert responded with a three of her own, but the Spartans held the Bucs within six points for the rest of the half, with a layup by senior Kelly Westfield (St. Petersburg, Fla./St. Petersburg College) giving the Spartans a 35-27 halftime lead.

"We came out a little sloppy," George said. "We got some steals and into the passing lanes and got some easy baskets to start to get it going. We went inside to C-Mac to get us going."

The Spartans and Bucs started the second half slow as well, with Upstate finally igniting on a 6-0 run on two layups by McMillan and one from Peterson to take a 47-34 lead with 15:53 remaining in the half. Another McMillan bucket at the 13:46 mark of the game gave the Spartans a 53-38 lead. The teams battled back and forth from there, with two Whitney Wiley free throw cutting the Spartan lead to 65-50 with 11:00 left before Upstate's 10-point run, started by a layup from McMillan on a beautiful no-look dish from Peterson. Wallace followed with a three and after a McMillan block and a missed 3-pointer from the Bucs, senior Ebony Johnson (Columbia, S.C./Ridge View) followed with a layup in the paint. Another Bucs turnover was followed by a try from Wallace, giving Upstate a 75-50 lead with 6:04 left.

"My teammates were setting screens," Wallace said. "We were getting the ball inside and they doubled up and we swung it out and I was lucky enough to knock a few shots down."

From there, the Spartans coasted, with a layup from Daniel with 1:59 giving Upstate an 87-58 lead. The Bucs cut the lead to 17 in the waning 30 seconds as Ali Schwagmeyer posted an impressive four layups while the Bucs forced three turnovers, converting them all into points. Still, it was too little, too late, as Upstate finished the 87-70 win.

Frost finished with six points, five rebounds, three blocks and two steals and Ebony Johnson posted four points, three rebounds and two assists,

Wiley led the Lady Bucs with 23 points and five steals and Schwagmeyer added 12 points, seven rebounds and two steals. Tolbert posted 11 points, four rebounds and three assists.

The Spartans will take their first extended road trip of the season starting on Tuesday as they head away from the Hodge Center until Jan. 3. The six-game road stanza starts on Tuesday at Conseco Fieldhouse as Upstate battles IUPUI in a 5 p.m. battle. The IUPUI men's basketball team follows in the doubleheader at the home of the Pacers, tipping off with Eastern Michigan after the women's game.

Notes
- Junior Courtney Hawkins became the 19th player in school history to reach 700 career points with her seventh of the night. The 5-4 guard is currently 18th in school history with 704 career points.
- The Spartans once again held the advantage in all specialty stat categories, with a 44-40 edge in the paint, a 23-22 advantage in points off turnover, a 12-9 lead in second-chance points and a 10-6 advantage in fast break points.
- Upstate 10 blocks were the most in the DI era. The Spartans got three blocks each from sophomores Chelsea McMillan and Sam Frost to lead the team.
- Sophomore Sam Frost recorded at least two steals for the third straight game. She now has eight this season.
- Senior Courtney Bradley had one assist in 10 minutes on the court, moving her within five of second in the career record book with 330 helpers.
- Junior Kolesia Richardson posted a career-high six assists.
- This is the first time the Spartans have won three straight games since wins over North Georgia, Columbus State and Francis Marion from Jan. 17 to Jan. 24, 2007.
- Upstate shot 50 percent (7-for-14) from 3-point land for the second straight game. It shot 57 percent against Montreat on Monday.