Dec. 16, 2008

Final Stats | Photo Gallery

COLUMBIA, S.C. - For the second time in school history, the USC Upstate women's basketball team had four players score in double-digits against a Southeastern Conference school, but a career-high 24 points from Lakeisha Sutton was enough to lead the University of South Carolina past its sister school, 71-57, on Tuesday night at the Colonial Life Arena.

Sophomore Chelsea McMillan (Quincy, Fla./Santa Fe C.C.) led the Spartans (4-3 overall) with 16 points, 15 coming in the first half, and the 6-0 forward also added eight rebounds in 31 minutes. Junior Courtney Hawkins (Greer, S.C./Greer) gave a big performance, posting 13 points, six assists, five rebounds and four steals. Freshman Kendra Wallace (Hurricane, W.Va./Nitro) added 11 points and sophomore Sam Frost (Baltimore, Md./North Greenville University) posted 10 points, four rebounds and two blocks.

"South Carolina is a very physical and fast team and they showed it (Tuesday)," Upstate head coach Tammy George said. "We gave a lot of effort and to have four in double figures says a lot about how balanced a team we have, but in order to be successful, we have to take better care of the basketball."

The Spartans had 21 turnovers to the Gamecocks' 18, but 16 Gamecock steals led to 25 points off turnover while the Spartans swiped the ball six times leading to just 11 points.

South Carolina (5-3 overall) pushed out of the gate in the second half, scoring the first six points to force an Upstate timeout after a length of the court pass found Jewel May for an open layup and a 16-point lead. From there, the Gamecocks were able to extend the lead to 19 at 54-39 after two free throws from Sutton. The Spartans charged on a 8-0 run, with Hawkins hitting a driving layup to start the run. Wallace hit a driving layup of her own and two free throws from junior Kolesia Richardson (Mary Esther, Fla./Santa Fe C.C.) followed. Hawkins capped the run with a layup, making it 54-47 with 8:17 left.

The Gamecocks answered with a stutter-step trifecta from Sutton and a defensive struggle ensued with Upstate managing the only two points of the next three minutes on free throws. Sutton once again took control for the Gamecocks, though, as she scored six straight points, hitting a 3-pointer with 3:17 left to help South Carolina take a 63-50 lead. Upstate was not able to get any closer.

The Gamecocks used a 25-14 run that occupied 10:15 during the first half to build a 31-19 lead, being led by seven points from Sutton and four each from Samone Kennedy and Demetress Adams. The Spartan offense sprung to life late in the half, though, as Frost posted five points and hit a 3-pointer and Hawkins added five points and also drained a trey to close the halftime gap to 38-29.

Sutton finished with 24 points to lead a Gamecock squad that played just seven in the game. She also added four assists and three steals. Demetress Adams posted 16 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks and five steals and Brionna Dickerson posted 15 points and three assists. Samone Kennedy also added 10 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals.

The Spartans are now set for a six-day trip to Cozumel, Mexico where they will compete in the Cozumel Cup, facing Summit League teams Oral Roberts (Friday at 5 p.m. CT) and Oakland (Saturday at 7:30 p.m. CT). The team is the first at Upstate to compete in any sport outside of the United States. The men's basketball team competed in the BP Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks, Alaska in November of 2007.

Notes
- Tonight's game was the second of four in a seven-day span for the Spartans, who end the week with games against Oral Roberts and Oakland in Cozumel, Mexico on Friday and Saturday, respectively.
- The Spartans are now 0-2 all-time on Dec. 16.
- Sophomore Chelsea McMillan scored the first 13 points of the game for Upstate before freshman Kendra Wallace hit a jumper in the paint with 7:29 left in the first half.
- McMillan finished the first half with 15 points, the second-best first half performance in Upstate's Division I era. Courtney Hawkins posted 17 points in the first half against Jacksonville on Jan. 25, 2008.
- With her free throws with 2:58 left in the first half, sophomore Courtney Hawkins ended a two-game scoreless stretch, the longest scoring draught in her career since a three-game dry spell from Dec. 29 to Jan. 3 of her freshman year.
- Hawkins posted six assists in the first half for the Spartans, setting a new season high in the process. The 5-4 guard from Greer, S.C., had three games with four dimes.
- This was the second time in school history that four players scored in double figures against an SEC opponent. Against Kentucky on Nov. 10, 2007, the school's first DI game, Courtney Bradley, Oceana Jackson, Tiffany Whiting and Ebony Johnson each finished with at least 10 points.
- It was the third time this year that Upstate placed four in double figures, also doing so against Montreat and at IUPUI.