Jan. 4, 2010

Box Score

Spartanburg, S.C. - Cedric Koffi made his first game in an Upstate uniform something to remember, but in the end, ETSU managed to pull out a victory after watching a 15-point second half lead get completely washed away as the Buccaneers took a 63-62 victory over the Spartans Monday afternoon in A-Sun men's basketball action in the Hodge Center.

Midway through the second half ETSU held a 15-point lead and looked in total control of the game. That's when Upstate mounted a furious comeback to erase the deficit and tie the game with under a minute to play. However, the Spartans, who had three possessions at the end of the game with a chance to take the lead, could not get over the hump and the Buccaneers held on for the win.

Upstate fell to 1-12 overall and 1-3 in the A-Sun with the loss. The one-point loss was the seventh of the season by nine points or less for the Spartans. ETSU improved to 7-7 overall and 3-0 in the A-Sun with the win, its fifth in five games against Upstate.

"It was a disappointing game, but a game that you can pull some positive things from," said Upstate head coach Eddie Payne. "We competed at a level that we haven't been competing at. We made progress. But, we didn't get quality shots the last two times we had the ball. We did a good job on the offensive boards which reflects a higher level of effort."

Koffi, a senior from Paris, France, saw his first action in an Upstate uniform despite transferring into the program at the start of last year. He was declared ineligible by the NCAA for signing an agreement with a club team as a young teenager. Despite Upstate's, Koffi's and the club team's assertions to the contrary, Koffi was deemed to have received compensation for his play and ruled ineligible for all of last season and the first 12 games of this year, 42 in all.

But, all of that was washed away Monday as the point guard sank four three-pointers and finished with a team-high 12 points to lead Upstate back into the game. With Upstate trailing by 15, he sank two of his four treys to spark Upstate. The Spartans used a 19-4 run from the 10:24 mark down to 57 seconds remaining to tie the game at 62-62. Upstate had three possessions the rest of the game to attempt to take the lead, but each time failed to convert.

"My hands were shaking and my heart was beating too fast," said Koffi. "It was great to finally step out on the court. It was a great feeling. I think I bring some toughness to the team and I want to be a leader on this team."

Isiah Brown was fouled while grabbing a rebound with 14 seconds to play and was injured on the play. Lukas Poderis converted one of two free throws to give ETSU a 63-62 lead and Upstate could not get off a clean shot in the final six seconds as ETSU held on for the win.

Upstate began the game well and opened an 11-point lead, 23-12, with 10:21 to play in the first half. However, ETSU quickly countered with a 13-0 run over the next four minutes to erase the deficit and take a five-point lead, 28-23.

Upstate got a bucket from Sharod Minus to cut the deficit to three, but ETSU closed out the half by outscoring the Spartans 19-11 to open a 47-36 lead at the break. The Buccaneers shot 19 free throws, making 17, while Upstate was 3-for-5 from the line in the half.

ETSU maintained control in the second half, thanks to less than spectacular offense from both teams. Upstate and ETSU combined to make just 8-of-27 field goal attempts in the first 10 minutes of the half. Upstate cut the lead to single digits twice in the first five minutes, but ETSU managed to extend the lead to 15 points prior to the Spartans' furious rally in the final 10 minutes of the game.

ETSU shot just 41 percent from the field for the game, but held Upstate to 35 percent shooting to spell the difference. Upstate grabbed a season-high 22 offensive rebounds which allowed the Spartans to take 15 more shots than the Buccaneers. However, the 23-of-66 shooting cost the Spartans.

Tommy Hubbard led the ETSU offensive attack with a game-high 21 points. He narrowly missed a double-double with nine rebounds to go along with two assists and two steals. Poderis added 14 points and two blocked shots, while Micah Williams finished with 12 points and five boards.

Pat Posey, in one of his best outings of the year, tied Koffi for team honors in scoring with 12 points. He also grabbed eight rebounds and added four assists to lead Upstate. Mezie Uzochukwu tallied his third career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.