University of South Carolina Upstate Athletics
Mercer
Gordon Shines In Spartans' Loss At Mercer
12/2/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 2, 2008
Macon, Ga. - Upstate freshman guard De'Marion Gordon finished with a career-high 22 points, sinking six three-pointers, but Mercer withstood the Spartan long range barrage to take a 74-64 victory Tuesday night in A-Sun men's hoops action at the University Center.
Upstate fell to 0-6 overall and 0-2 in the A-Sun with the loss. The Spartans take 11 days off for the final week of classes and final exams before heading to Boston College on Dec. 14. Mercer improved to 6-2 overall and 1-0 in the A-Sun in its conference opener.
Gordon ignited Upstate's three-point attack, and his help was much needed as the Spartans struggled to get production out of its normally strong frontcourt players. Bobby Davis and Nick Schneiders entered the game averaging 15 and eight points, respectively. However, the duo combined for eight points on the night.
Gordon and the Spartans were 10-of-23 from behind the three-point arc. Josh Chavis and Carter Cook accounted for two trifectas apiece in the game.
Upstate's cold shooting from the field made the difference in the game. The Spartans took 21 more shots than Mercer, but connected on just 31 percent from the floor. Mercer finished 44.6 percent from the floor. Upstate also turned the ball over just two times in the game. Playing its second game in as many days may have had an effect on the team's shooting performance for the game.
"I thought we were dead-legged and I thought our shooting percentage reflected that," said Upstate head coach Eddie Payne. "We took care of the ball and when you do that, you stay in games. But we didn't shoot the ball well and didn't get good performances out of our inside players. Our freshmen gave us a spark and kept us in the game."
Perhaps it was the hangover from playing the night before, but Upstate started slow offensively hitting just two of its first 10 shots. However, Mercer could not capitalize as the Bears turned the ball over twice during the first five minutes.
Mercer began to heat up midway through the half and Calvin Henry was the catalyst. He sank two three-pointers and had eight points in the first 15 minutes as the Bears extended the lead to eight points, 16-8, with 9:50 to play. Upstate's shooting woes contributed to the deficit as the Spartans shot just 17 percent from the field in the first 10 minutes, connecting on just 4-of-23 from the field.
Upstate used the long range shot to get back in the game, sinking three straight to get within one, 18-17, at the 4:01 mark. However, Mercer answered when E.J. Kusnyer sank two-straight trifectas to give Mercer a 26-19 lead at the 3:53 mark.
With Upstate trailing, 26-21, with 3:10 to go in the half, De'Marion Gordon scored the Spartans' final 10 points of the half. However, Mercer answered 13 points to counter the Gordon attack and took a 39-31 lead into the intermission.
Henry led Mercer on both ends of the court in the first half, scoring 13 points and blocking five shots. Kusnyer was 3-of-3 from the arc to lead the long range attack.
Gordon's 10 points sparked Upstate at the end of the half and Mezie Uzochukwu added eight points in the half to keep the Spartans in the game at the break. Upstate was 5-of-9 from the three-point arc. Bobby Davis, the Spartans' leading scorer entering the game, had just two points but hit the boards with five in the half.
Mercer came out hot from outside in the second half, sinking three three-pointers in the first four minutes to extend its lead to 13 points, 50-37, with 16:29 to play.
Mercer seemed in control of the game until Gordon sparked Upstate with three-straight three-pointers, and Carter Cook's two free throws with 11:29 to play in the game got the Spartans within six, 57-51.
The Mercer defense held Upstate scoreless for three minutes, enabling the Bears to increase its lead to 11, 64-53, with 6:53 to play. The lead hovered around 10 points the rest of the game as the Spartans took the 10-point loss.
Gordon's 22 points led Upstate. Cook added 12 points and six rebounds, while Uzochukwu finished with 10 points and six boards.
Henry and Daniel Emerson led Mercer with 16 points each. Emerson added 12 rebounds for the double-double while Henry picked up six blocked shots. The Bears shot 44.6 percent from the field for the game and connected on 10-of-17 from the arc for a 58.8 shooting percentage.
After Upstate takes off the next 12 days for the final days of classes and final exams, the Spartans will embark on a 13-day road trip that will see the team play at Boston College, Saint Louis and Fresno State before traveling to Las Vegas for the final two games of the Findlay Toyota Las Vegas Classic.
"We are in a very fragile state as we enter final exams," said Payne. "Hopefully the break comes at a good time and we can regroup a little bit."
