Upstate Proves Triumphant In Tough Tussle With Limestone, 59-56
11/24/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 24, 2007
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Two free throws from junior Courtney Bradley (Columbia, S.C./Dutch Fork) with 12 seconds left and a block by freshman Kasey Thompson (Marion, Ind./Oak Hill) on a 3-pointer with five seconds left helped ice the USC Upstate women's basketball team's first Division I win, 59-56, at home on Saturday afternoon at the Hodge Center against Division II Limestone.
"It wasn't pretty," Upstate head coach Tammy George said. "We struggled shooting (Saturday). But, we came out with a win. We can be happy with that. We do have to get better. We're a work in progress and we are getting better and better every day. I think we are a much better team than we've shown these last two games here at home."
Bradley led the Spartans (2-3 overall) with 13 points, all in the second half, and a season-high six assists. She added six rebounds. Freshman Oceana Jackson (Carnesville, Ga./Franklin County) added 12 points and nine rebounds and sophomore Courtney Hawkins (Greer, S.C./Greer) added 10 points, five rebounds and three steals. Junior Ebony Johnson (Columbia, S.C./Ridgeview) added eight points, eight rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
USC Upstate struggled from the 3-point line all day long, missing its first 21 shots behind the arc before Bradley connected on a 3-pointer with 7:40 left to put the Spartans up by eight at 47-39. Limestone (2-4 overall) chipped back into the game, going on a 10-2 run capped by a free throw from Tiffany Jones with 3:19 left to tie the game at 49. Hawkins connected on a 3-pointer and after an unforced Lady Saints turnover, Bradley connected on her second trey of the half, giving the Spartans a 55-49 lead with 2:40 left.
"Courtney struggled offensively during the first half," George said of Bradley, who went 2-for-12 from 3. "They started to back off her and we just told her to have confidence and keep shooting it. During that one stretch where we really needed some buckets, she hit two big 3-pointers. I'm glad she didn't put her head down and quit shooting."
However, Tierney Burdett, the Saints leading scorer, answered with back-to-back 3s , tying the game with 1:05 remaining. The Spartans responded, with Bradley driving the lane and throwing up a layup that was off. Jackson came down with the rebound and was fouled as she hit her layup. However, she couldn't convert her free throw and after a Saints turnover, Bradley made her way to the line with 23 seconds left after a foul by the Saints. Bradley missed both shots and the Spartans committed a foul on the floor, sending Essence Greer to the line, where she hit one of the shots with 13 seconds left. With the score 57-56, Bradley was fouled with 12 seconds left and she converted both shots.
The Saints tried for two 3-pointers as time ran down, but one was blocked by Thompson and the other missed the backboard, leading the Spartans to their 31st consecutive win at home against a Conference Carolinas opponent.
Upstate got off to a fast start, taking a 7-0 lead after a Bradley free throw, but Limestone responded with a 17-7 run to take a 17-14 lead with 9:32 remaining in the first half. A Hawkins jumper and two jumpers from Jackson gave the Spartans a 20-17 lead. The Spartans stretched the lead to nine at 32-23 after a jumper from Johnson with 2:34 left in the first half, but a Burdett 3-pointer made the Saints' deficit six at the half.
Sophomore Shanea Wyant (Lafayette, Ind./Lafayette Jefferson) and Johnson scored the first two buckets of the second half to stretch the lead to 10, but a 13-2 run, capped by a 3-pointer from Shelly Robinson gave the Saints a 39-38 lead with 10:52 left. The Spartans responded with Bradley finding Wyant in the lane for a layup to retake the lead 40-39, starting a 9-0 run.
Burdett led the Saints with 19 points and four 3-pointers and Monica Adams added 10 points and four rebounds. Greer posted five points and a game-high 17 rebounds and Lindsay Kyle posted nine points and three rebounds for Limestone.
The Spartans will look for their shooters' touch on the road, traveling to North Carolina A&T for a 7 p.m. game on Tuesday at the Corbett Sports Complex in Greensboro, N.C.
Notes:
- The Spartans improve to 14-3 all-time against Limestone and 11-1 at the Hodge Center. They have won four straight in the series and 11 straight at home.
- USC Upstate improved to 73-21 (.777) all-time against Conference Carolinas opponents and 45-6 (.882) at the Hodge Center. The Spartans have won 31 straight at home.
- Upstate improved to 38-20 (.655) at home in the month of November.
- The Spartans are now 3-3 all-time on Nov. 24.
- Freshman Oceana Jackson scored 12 points against the Saints, her fifth straight game with more than 10 points.
- Junior Ebony Johnson posted eight rebounds against the Saints, her fifth straight game with five or more rebounds.
- Junior Courtney Bradley posted two 3-pointers against Limestone, snapping a three-game drought from behind-the-arc, which tied the longest stretch of her career.
- Junior Courtney Bradley now has 95 career 3-pointers, which ties Stephanie Dacus (1991-96) for fourth on Upstate's career list.
- Junior Courtney Bradley posted a season-high six assists in the game, giving her 280 in her career, just nine shy of Meredith Sisson (1993-95) for sixth in school history.
- Junior Cherale Powell scored a season-high six points in the game.
- Sophomore Shanea Wyant scored six points, leaving her five shy of 100 in her career.
- The Spartans were outrebounded for the second straight game, 50-49.
