Hall of Fame
The 1981 Runnin' Rifles had set the bar high for their successor. A District Six Championship and a short, but sweet NAIA run had expectations high for Jerry Waters' second squad in Spartanburg. The Rifles were preseason favorites in the coaches poll for the first time and had an infusion of talent like Odell Cleveland and Chris Brown to go along with returning stars like Mike Gibson, Wendell Gibson, James Holland, and Doug Lightbody. A tough regular season saw the Rifles go 19-5, with just a few highlights being a record nine-game win streak, a 77-66 homecoming win over Coastal Carolina, a 123-88 win over USC Aiken, and a 3-0 record against crosstown rival Wofford. The Rifles ran through the District Six Tournament before facing off with College of Charleston for the District Six Championship and an NAIA tournament berth. The Cougars were shot through the heart as USC Spartanburg claimed a 54-52 victory with seconds to go and earned back-to-back District Six titles. The NAIA tournament saw the Rifles outgun their opponents, winning every matchup by ten or more. A David versus Goliath story unfolded in the championship as the 26-5 Rifles shocked the 39-0 Biola Eagles to earn their 27th win and the NAIA National Championship. Six Rifles played in all 32 games: Wendell Gibson, Mike Gibson, Odell Cleveland, Doug Lightbody, James Holland, and Chris Brown. Both Gibsons were named All-Americans that season and First Team All-American Mike Gibson earned the National Tournament's MVP honor while Third Team All-American Wendell Gibson was named the District Six Tournament MVP. The impact of the 1982 NAIA national championship team is difficult to quantify, but their legacy continues to be seen at USC Upstate to this day.
