Four Spartans Post Double-Figure Efforts And Upstate Downs S.C. State, 88-53
11/24/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 24, 2009
ORANGEBURG, S.C. - Four USC Upstate women's basketball players finished in double figures, led by 21 points from freshman Tee'Ara Copney (Asheville, N.C./T.C. Roberson) and 16 from junior Chelsea McMillan (East Gadsden, Fla./Santa Fe C.C.), helped lead the Spartans to an 88-53 win over S.C. State on Tuesday night in non-conference action at the Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center.
Copney, the 5-7 guard from Asheville, posted a career-high 21 points, hitting 9-of-11 shots from the field and knocking down all three of her 3-point attempts for the Spartans (3-2 overall). She also added two rebounds and two assists. McMillan posted 16 points and 15 rebounds for her third double-double of the season and ninth of her career. She also posted two blocks and an assist.
Upstate also got a career-high 15 points and three steals from junior Sharniece Wadelington (Greenviille, S.C./UNC Greensboro), as she smashed her previous collegiate high of six points set when she was at UNC Greensboro against Western Carolina in the 2006-07 season.
Junior Koko Richardson (Mary Esther, Fla./Santa Fe C.C.) added 12 points, eight rebounds and a steal, as she knocked down all four of her free-throw attempts.
"It was just a great team effort," Upstate head coach Tammy George said. "We had eight different players score and seven had at least five points, so that shows some great offensive efficiency. We just came out ready to go after a couple tough losses and I thought we did a great job of never really letting S.C. State into the game."
A 16-1 run that occupied five minutes late in the first half helped Upstate take a 45-17 lead late in the first half. With Upstate leading 29-16, a free throw by freshman Morgan Goss (Ellenwood, Ga./Mays) was followed by a lay-up against Copney. Another free throw by Daniel was followed by a layup from McMillan. After an S.C. State free throw, Wadelington converted a three-point play and added another layup. Richardson hit a layup and Goss hit a 3-pointer to give Upstate a 28-point lead. A pair of baskets by S.C. State cut the lead to 24 at 45-21 at the intermission.
Coming out of the locker room, 3-pointers by sophomore Lesley Daniel (Collinwood, Tenn./Collinwood) and sophomore Kendra Wallace (Hurricane, W.Va./Nitro) were followed by a layup by McMillan to give Upstate a 30-point lead with 17:04 left in the second half. From there, the Lady Bulldogs (2-2 overall) couldn't get closer than 26 points the rest of the way.
"We lost some of our defensive intensity in the second half," Wadelington said, "but when we make mistakes, we just have to pick each other up and not get down and we were able to do that and that really helped us be successful."
A 6-0 run early in the first half helped put Upstate ahead early, as McMillan and Copney hit jumpers and Richardson hit a pair of free throws and from there, the Bulldogs never got back within four points.
Daniel finished with nine points and tied a career-high with six assists, also adding four rebounds. Wallace posted eight points, also adding a career-high with five assists, and posting four rebounds. Goss added five points, three assists and three rebounds and junior Kim Pitman (Plumtree, N.C./Avery) added two points, four rebounds and 10th career block in the game.
Joi Walker led the Lady Bulldogs with 16 points , six rebounds and two blocks. Sophilia Hipps, the team's leading scorer, was held to 10 points, six rebounds and five assists. Both Shontavious Wylie and Brijan Turner added seven points.
Upstate gets set to get back on the court on Saturday after the holiday when UNC Asheville comes to the Hodge Center for another I-26 rivalry showdown at 3 p.m.
Notes:
• The Spartans are 4-3 all-time on Nov. 24, last beating Limestone, 59-56, in 2007.
• Upstate is 9-6 in the D-I era (since 2007) in the month of November.
• Sophomore Kendra Wallace is 10 points away from becoming the 53rd player in school history to reach 400 in her career.
• With her one 3-pointer, sophomore Kendra Wallace became the seventh player in school history to reach 80 in a career.
• Junior Chelsea McMillan passed Sherry Clark (1993-95) for fifth in school history with her two blocked shots and she now has 53 in her career.
• Upstate is 7-7 all-time against schools from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, but it is 3-1 since moving to D-I in 2007.
