Jan. 2, 2010

Final Stats

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - A layup by Ashley Williamson with 1:20 left and a fastbreak outlet pass lay-in by Tonisha Baker with 1.2 seconds left helped Campbell escape the grasp of the USC Upstate women's basketball team, 75-72, in Atlantic Sun Conference action on Saturday evening at the Hodge Center. The Spartans fall to 6-6 overall and 0-3 in the A-Sun with the loss and Campbell improves to 7-4 overall and 3-0 in the A-Sun.

With 1:37 left, freshman Lauren McRoberts (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) moved into the paint, spun and hit a six-footer to give Upstate a 72-71 lead, but Williamson answered by doing her own twisting layup 17 seconds later. The teams traded fruitless possessions, as McRoberts pick-pocketed Monique Spry with 28 seconds left. The Spartans used a timeout and with seven seconds, a Camel foul sent Upstate to the line for two free throws. However, neither shot was converted and with four seconds left, junior Sharniece Wadelington (Greenville, S.C./UNC Greensboro) and Williamson tied the ball up. The possession arrow belonged to Campbell and on the inbounds, Kate Cloxton hit Baker on an outlet pass and Baker zoomed in for the clinching layup, as Upstate wasn't able to get a solid shot off before time expired.

"We made some critical mistakes late in the game, but I think we showed a lot of heart," Upstate head coach Tammy George said. We fell down by eight early and we fought back. We never backed down once. We fell down by seven in the second half and we came back. We had a chance to win it with seven seconds left. We need to turn the corner, though. We need to have a game where we can grind out a win when we are being challenged by a good team."

Senior Courtney Hawkins (Greer, S.C./Greer) posted 11 points, five assists, three rebounds and two steals, helping her reach a couple more impressive milestones. The 11 points moved her past Kia Manuel (2000-04) and into the top 10 in career points with 1,102, as she is the only player in school history in the top 10 in points (1,102, 10th), assists (255, ninth), steals (169, tie-sixth) and 3-pointers made (99, tie-fifth).

The two teams engaged in a tight back-and-forth battle from the start, as the game featured 12 ties and 16 lead changes. Campbell took a 10-2 lead with 15:15 left in the first half, but Upstate responded with a 16-7 run over the next five minutes, taking the lead on a layup by Hawkins at 18-17. After a Campbel bucket, the Spartans went on a 10-2 run, led by four points from Hawkins, as Upstate took a 27-21 lead with 6:35 left. The lead grew to as much as 11 after a dazzling, driving layup from Hawkins with 3:10 left, but Campbell closed the half with eight straight points, cutting Upstate's lead to 36-34.

In the second half, the teams jostled even more, fighting through six ties and six lead changes by the 11:02 mark when a free throw by the Camels' Amanda O'Neill ignited seven straight Campbell points. The Spartans cut the lead to five with a pair of free throws from junior Chelsea McMillan (East Gadsden, Fla./Santa Fe C.C.) and to two after a steal by Hawkins turned into a 3-pointer from sophomore Lesley Daniel (Collinwood, Tenn./Collinwood). The team's traded buckets until the 5:30 mark of the game when McMillan hit a layup on a dish by McRoberts and Hawkins hit a pair of free throws, to tie the game at 63.

Once again, the teams fought back and forth until Daniel, coming off a missed jumper, swooped in and hit a jumper and was fouled with 3:55 left, giving Upstate a 67-66 advantage. After she made the free throw, the Camels tied the game on a layup by Spry and a free throw from Jazmine Cooper with 2:56 left put the Camels on top. However, the Spartans answered off Cooper's miss of a back end free throw with a fastbreak and sophomore Kendra Wallace (Hurricane, W.Va./Nitro) converted the layup giving Upstate the 70-69 lead. Baker tied the game with a free throw with 2:10 left and Williamson added another at the 1:55 mark, setting up the concluding moments.

The Spartans had three other players besides Hawkins reach double-figures, as McMillan posted her fifth double-double of the season with 14 points, 11 rebounds, two blocks and three steals. However, foul trouble limited McMillan to 22 minutes. Wallace led the Spartans with 15 points, on the strength of three 3-pointers, and two steals and Daniel added 11 points, four assists and three rebounds. McRoberts posted seven points, 10 rebounds and two assists and senior Koko Richardson (Mary Esther, Fla./Santa Fe C.C.) notched four points, seven rebounds and three assists.

Campbell was led by 15 points and nine rebounds from Lauren Yesh and Williamson added 12 points and nine rebounds. Spry posted 10 points, seven rebounds and three assists and Courtney Cannon notched nine points, five rebounds and three steals. Jazmine Cooper added eight points and seven rebounds.

Both teams struggled mightily at the free throw line, with Upstate shooting 54.5 (18-33) percent in the game and Campbell shooting 54.8 percent (17-31). The Spartans, once again, used an aggressive defense to force five more turnovers in the contest, while Campbell outrebounded Upstate, 49-47. Campbell hit six more shots from the field, shooting 47 (28-60) percent while Upstate shot 35 (24-68) percent.

The Spartans wrap up their three-game homestand with ETSU at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 4 as part of a doubleheader with the men's programs. The men's game is set to tip at 2 p.m.

Notes:
- Upstate is 1-3 all-time on Jan. 2.

- The Spartans are 68-69 all-time against schools from North Carolina. They are 43-24 at the Hodge Center.

- Junior Chelsea McMillan notched her 11th career double-double and the fifth of the season with her 14 points and 11 rebounds.

- Four Spartans finished in double figures for the 14th time in the D-I era and the fourth time this season.

- Upstate posted 11 steals, the eighth time this year that the team posted more than 10 in a game.

- Freshman Lauren McRoberts reached double figures in rebounds for the second time this season and the second time in A-Sun play, posting a career-high 11 at Stetson.