Start It Up
11/12/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 12, 2008
Live Audio (WLBG.com) | Live Video Streaming (The Big South Edge)
Complete Upstate-Presbyterian Game Notes in PDF Format 
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Over the course of the USC Upstate women's basketball programs history, there are only five teams that they have met more than Presbyterian, all of whom still play at the Division II level. So, it seems perfectly fitting that the Spartans will take on the Blue Hose to open both schools' second seasons of Division I play on Saturday at 7 p.m. in Clinton.
The Spartans, who went 5-24 in their first season of Division I play, return one of the most dynamic scorers in mid-major women's basketball in junior Courtney Hawkins, who finished amongst the top 100 in the nation with her 16.4 points per game. Add on to that a core of seven newcomers, five of whom earned all-state honors at the prep level, and Upstate seems primed to make a big leap in their second season of Division I play.
The Blue Hose, under direction of new head coach Ronny Fisher, returns two starters from a team that finished 2-24 in their first year of Division I play.
In 34 previous meetings, both schools have won 17 times, with Presbyterian holding a 9-7 advantage in Templeton Arena.
• The Spartans are 19-15 in season openers. They fell, 74-59, at Kentucky on Nov. 10, 2007 in their first Division I opener.
• This is eighth straight season opener away from the Hodge Center. They are 3-4 in that time.
• Junior Courtney Hawkins was the first Upstate basketball player (men or women) to earn Preseason All-A-Sun honors.
• Junior Courtney Hawkins needs five points to pass Carol Turano (1984-88) for 20th on Upstate's all-time scoring list. Hawkins has 663 career points.
• Senior Ebony Johnson was the only player shorter than 5-8 in NCAA Division I play to average 7.0 rebounds a game in 2007-08.
• The Spartans welcome two players that earned First Team All-State honors as prep seniors last season in Chelsey Peterson (South Carolina) and Kendra Wallace (West Virginia).
• Senior Courtney Bradley and freshman Chelsey Peterson were members of the 2004-05 Dutch Fork High School team that made the South Carolina Class AAAA finals.
