Feb. 7, 2009

Box Score

Spartanburg, S.C. - Bobby Davis stepped to the free throw line with USC Upstate trailing, 53-52, with 3.6 seconds to play in regulation and calmly sank both attempts to lift the Spartans to a 54-53 victory over Stetson Saturday afternoon in A-Sun men's basketball action in the Hodge Center.

The game was a battle between standout players from both teams as Davis and Stetson's A.J. Smith countered each other all night. Smith is the reigning A-Sun Player of the Week and nearly delivered the win for the Hatters. But, it was the will of Davis that trumped everything as Upstate came away with the win. Davis finished the game with 15 points, 13 rebounds, five assists and four blocked shots. Smith finished with 17 points, four rebounds and six assists.

"I was really relaxed (at the free throw line)," said Davis. "I was in the same situation in practice the other day and had to make my free throws for my team to win. I made them and we won. I just stepped up there and had confidence."

Upstate improved to 6-16 overall and 5-8 in the A-Sun with the win, having knocked off Jacksonville and Stetson in the last two games. Stetson fell to 10-12 overall and 7-7 in the league with the loss.

Stetson led for most of the game until Upstate made a rally in the final 2:40 to erase a five-point deficit to take the win. The Spartans scored the final six points of the game and used a tight defense to force Stetson into four missed shots in the final two minutes to take the win.

"I think we stole one, but it felt good," said Upstate head coach Eddie Payne. "At no point during the game did I feel like we played well. But, Bobby gave us a couple of hustle plays that gave us a boost. We did a much better job defensively in the last three minutes and that made the difference. This was a game we probably shouldn't have won, but we did. I don't know what we did particularly well other than hang in there and make plays at the end of the game."

The final minutes of the game proved to be key. After Smith gave Stetson a five-point advantage, 53-48, on a three-pointer with 2:37 to play, Upstate turned up its intensity on both ends of the court. Mezie Uzochukwu hit a mid-range jumper to get the Spartans within three with 2:18 remaining. Garfield Blair's running jumper in the lane was blocked by Nick Schneiders. Schneiders then converted a layup after Davis missed a layup to get the Spartans within one, 53-52, with 1:21 to play.

Smith missed a three-pointer on Stetson's next possession, but came up with the rebound of a Davis missed 17-footer on the other end. Tim Lang's three-pointer drew rim and Schneiders came away with the rebound. After an Upstate timeout with six seconds to play, Payne drew up a play to inbounds the ball to Schneiders in the lane where he could either find an open cutter or take an open shot. He found a slashing Davis open on the right side of the lane and Davis was fouled going up for the shot. He stepped to the line after a Stetson timeout and sank both free throws to give the win to the Spartans. Smith's running three-pointer did not fall as time expired.

Stetson jumped out to a an early 11-point lead in the first half, outscoring the Spartans 15-4 to open the game. Upstate used a 16-4 run over the next five minutes to take its first lead of the game, 20-19, on Uzochukwu's layup. Both teams went scoreless for the next four minutes until Lang's layup gave Stetson the lead back. The lead would change hands four more times before halftime as Smith's three-pointer with 34 seconds to play gave the Hatters a 29-27 lead at the break.

Upstate regained the lead on Josh Chavis' three-pointer to open the seocnd half, but Blair's jumper 26 seconds later gave Stetson a 31-30 lead with 18:26 to play. The Spartans would not lead again until Davis' free throws with 3.6 seconds to play.

Stetson managed to build a nine-point lead, 42-33, with 14:39 to play, but Upstate would not go away. The Spartans cut it to three points with 12:02 remaining and again with 9:30 to play.

Upstate nearly cost itself by poor free throw shooting. Davis was the only Spartan to make any free throws on the night. He was 5-for-7, but the rest of the Spartans were 0-6. What kept Upstate in the game and allowed the Spartans to win was defense. Upstate held Stetson to 34 percent shooting from the field for the game, including 32 percent in the second half. The Spartans also out-rebounded the Hatters 39-33 for the game.

Schneiders finished the game with 10 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots. Uzochukwu added nine points, five rebounds and three assists, while Chavis and Gabor Boros added eight points apiece.

Blair made several tough contested jumpers and finished the game with 12 points and five rebounds for Stetson. Lang added nine points and seven rebounds.

Notes:
- Zac Rich was named Upstate's Homecoming King at halftime.
- Bobby Davis tallied his ninth double-double of the season.