University of South Carolina Upstate Athletics
Mercer
Mercer Edges Upstate In A-Sun Opener, 79-75
12/3/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 3, 2008
MACON, Ga. - Freshman Kendra Wallace (Hurricane, W.Va./Nitro) hit a 3-pointer from the left side with eight seconds left to close within three points, but the USC Upstate women's basketball team wasn't able to force a turnover and Mercer's Nicole Leonard swished the back end of her double bonus free throws with 2.6 seconds left to ice a 79-75 win at Mercer's University Center in the Atlantic Sun Conference opener for both teams on Wednesday night.
A 3-pointer before the first half horn by LaToya Jackson helped send the Bears (4-2 overall, 1-0 A-Sun) into the locker room with a 36-34 lead, which the Bears wouldn't relinquish the rest of the way. Mercer started the second half on a 21-7 run that occupied the first 6:51 of the second half, even as the team's leading scorer Dominique Chism was disqualified on personal fouls.
The teams battled evenly for the next six minutes with Mercer holding a 66-51 lead with 7:46 left when sophomore Chelsea McMillan (Quincy, Fla./Santa Fe (Fla.) C.C.) hit a 3-pointer igniting a 9-0 run and bringing the Spartans (4-1 overall, 0-1 A-Sun) within six with 5:35 left after freshman Chelsey Peterson (Irmo, S.C./Dutch Fork) drove the lane and was fouled to help her complete a traditional three-point play. One of Wallace's four 3-pointers cut the lead to 68-63 with 4:41 left, but Mercer extended the lead to nine after two free throws from Jackson and a jumper from Courtney Ford. The Spartans made one last run with two free throws from junior Kolesia Richardson (Mary Esther, Fla./Santa Fe (Fla.) C.C.) and a layup from McMillan bringing Upstate within four in the last 40 seconds.
After McMillan connected on the layup with 24 seconds left, the Spartans fouled Mercer's Lacy Ramon, who missed both ends of her double bonus free throws, but hustled to get the rebound after her second shot where she was fouled again. This time, she hit both free throws, setting up the final seconds.
"We definitely battled until the end," Upstate head coach Tammy George said. "I think the way we fought back from down 15 with 7:46 left to make it a tight game showed a lot about the character of this squad. However, we came out flat to start the second half and that, in the end, was what cost us."
Upstate got out to a six-point lead after a layup from Peterson and a 3-pointer from freshman Lesley Daniel (Collinwood, Tenn./Collinwood) put the Spartans up 17-11 with 10:27 left in the first half. However, the Bears tied the game at 17 thanks to a 6-0 run over the next three minutes and from there, neither team was able to take advantage until a three from Wallace was followed by a Mercer turnover and McMillan hit a jumper to give Upstate a 28-23 lead. The Bears answered with seven straight points to take a slim lead. A layup from Richardson with 24 seconds left looked to send the Spartans into the locker room with a one-point advantage, but Jackson hit her three from the left side just before the buzzer.
The Spartans, who shot 46 percent (25-for-54) from the field in the game, were led by career-highs from each of the Santa Fe Community College transfers, as forward McMillan posted 23 points and added five rebounds and three steals. McMillan hit 8-of-13 from the field and also went 6-for-10 from the line. Richardson, a point guard, finished with 14 points thanks to a perfect 8-for-8 night from the free throw line. She also added five rebounds.
Wallace also added 16 points, thanks to a 4-for-7 game from 3-point land, adding five rebounds, two assists and two steals. Peterson posted seven points and five rebounds.
Mercer was led by Jackson, who had 19 points thanks to four 3-pointers and a 7-for-8 game from the charity stripe. Chism posted 15 points, five steals and two blocks in just 17 minutes before fouling out and Natasha Doh added 12 points, two assists and four steals. Ford had 11 points and five rebounds.
Upstate takes 10 days off before getting back on the court for a Saturday matinee at A-Sun foe Kennesaw State on Dec. 13. Tip is at 7 p.m.
Notes
- The Spartans are now 6-4 all-time on Dec. 3.
- The win snapped a four-game winning streak for the Spartans. It was their first winning streak as a Division I school, having moved up in 2007-08.
- Upstate hit its first two 3-pointers of the night, with sophomore Sam Frost and freshman Kendra Wallace connecting on treys.
- Junior Courtney Hawkins was held scoreless for the first time since Feb. 10, 2007 against UNC Pembroke, a span of 37 games. Hawkins did post four assists and two steals in the game.
- Senior Courtney Bradley posted three assists in 22 minutes, moving within one of the school's NCAA-era record for assists. Bradley has 334 career assists, one shy of Angelina Gordon's (1994-97) mark of 335. Gordon is second at Upstate in career assists to Suzanne Graham (1983-87), who has 578 career helpers, all during the NAIA era.
