Nov. 21, 2009

Box Score

Rock Hill, S.C. - Despite receiving double digit scoring efforts from Mezie Uzochukwu and Nick Schneiders, USC Upstate could not hold off a furious rally from Winthrop as the Eagles battled back from 13 down with less than six minutes to play to take a 49-46 victory over the Spartans Saturday afternoon at the Winthrop Coliseum.

The Upstate defense did its part, holding Winthrop to 49 points in the game, matching the second-lowest scoring output for a Spartan opponent in the Division I era. Upstate held Southern to 47 points in its 72-47 victory over the Jaguars in the Las Vegas Classic on Dec. 22 last year. However, the 46 points scored by Upstate against Winthrop was the third-lowest scoring output for the Spartans since moving to Division I in 2007, trailing the 38 points scored at Saint Louis last year (Dec. 17), the 40 points scored at Gonzaga to end the year last season (March 3) and the 44 points scored at Lipscomb a year ago (Feb. 14).

"To use an old phrase, I thought we chocked," said Upstate head coach Eddie Payne. "I thought we got up 13 and choked because we quit doing the things that got us a lead. We started playing like something belonged to us when it didn't. We got quick and we quit throwing the ball into Nick. When you do those things and lose focus, it's hard to turn it around. We blew an opportunity to win the game."

Upstate fell to 0-3 on the year and will return to the court Tuesday night at 7:00 in the Spartans' home opener against UNC Greensboro. Winthrop improved to 2-1 on the season with the win. Uzochukwu narrowly missed a double-double, finishing with 13 points and nine rebounds to lead the Upstate attack. Nick Schneiders added 13 as well for the Spartans.

The game was less than pretty from an offensive standpoint with both teams struggling from the field in the first half. Upstate shot just 21.4 percent from the floor, but was able to take an 18-14 lead at the half. Winthrop shot just 17.9 percent from the floor in the first 20 minutes.

The teams rallied in the second half. Winthrop shot 50 percent from the field, finishing the half 11-for-22. The Eagles finished the game shooting 32 percent. Upstate shot 40.7 percent from the floor in the half, finishing the game at 30.9 percent. But, it was key three-point shooting for Winthrop, something that had been a weakness for the Eagles entering the game, which made the difference late.

Winthrop entered the game having made just 1-of-28 three-point attempts on the year. Against Upstate Saturday, the Eagles made 4-of-10, none bigger than a 28-foot dagger off the fingers of Gideon Gamble with 53 seconds to play in the game. The trey gave Winthrop a 46-44 lead, its first lead since the 3:14 mark of the first half, and pushed the Eagles to the win.

Prior to Gamble's three-pointer, Upstate seemed poised to earn its first win of the season. The Spartans had wrestled control of the game away from Winthrop late in the first half and maintained control throughout much of the second half.

Having scored just 10 points and trailing by four with 4:28 to play in the first half, Upstate closed out the half with an 8-0 run to open an 18-14 lead at the intermission. Josh Chavis nailed back-to-back three-pointers to give the Spartans the lead and Pat Posey converted two free throws with 47 seconds left to give Upstate its four-point cushion at the break.

Upstate came out with high energy in the second half and built the lead to six points, 22-16, with 18:12 to play. Winthrop made a run at the Spartans, cutting the lead to one over the next 2:15, but the Spartans regained control.

Upstate answered with a 9-1 spurt to open a nine-point lead, 31-22, with 12:37 to play in the game. After trading baskets on the next three possessions, Upstate used a 6-0 run to open a 39-26 lead with 8:37 to play.

The Upstate lead remained 13 points after a pair of free throws from Uzochukwu with 6:17 to play and the Spartans seemed in control and set for its first win of the season. That's when things began to unravel for Upstate.

Things started innocently enough as Gamble converted a layup with 5:45 to play to cut the Upstate lead to 11. However, the bucket ignited a 13-0 run that culminated in a pair of Gamble free throws to tie the game at 41-41.

Chavis answered the run with a three-pointer to give Upstate a 44-41 lead with 2:17 to play, ending a 4:00 scoring drought for Upstate. Winthrop answered with seven-straight points to open a 48-44 lead with 18 seconds to play, with Gamble's three-pointer serving as the key shot during the run.

Upstate maintained a one-point lead as the clock moved under a minute to play in the game. Turning in a strong defensive possession, Upstate looked to have forced Winthrop into an impossible situation. Gamble took a pass some 28 feet from the basket and heaved a desperation three-pointer which touched nothing but net to give Winthrop a 46-44 lead.

Schneiders cut the lead to two with two seconds to play in the game on a put back of De'Marion Gordon's missed three-pointer. Gamble missed the first of two free throws with 1.7 seconds to play, but converted the second to give the Eagles a 49-46 lead. Gordon's 80-foot heave at the buzzer hit the backboard as Winthrop scored the come from behind victory.

Gamble led Winthrop with 12 points and was the only Eagle to reach double figures. Andy Buechert and Andre Jones each added eight for the Eagles.

Schneiders finished with eight rebounds, three blocked shots and two assists for Upstate. He now has 127 blocks in his career, just nine shy of reaching the all-time Upstate record of 136 held by Kevin Harrington (2000-04). Chavis added nine points for the Spartans.