Spartanburg, S.C. – After playing four-straight games on the road to open the season, USC Upstate finally plays at home in the newly renovated Hodge Center when it plays host to ETSU Saturday afternoon at 4:30. The game will not only be the home opener for the Spartans, it will also be the A-Sun opener for both Upstate and ETSU. Upstate enters the game with a 2-2 record, coming off a thrilling 78-73 overtime victory at Presbyterian College Thursday night. ETSU enters the game with a 2-3 record and on a three-game losing streak, though the Buccaneers have not played since an 87-71 loss at Middle Tennessee on Nov. 26.

The game will be a matchup of teams picked to finish at the top of the A-Sun standings and the league's top-two scoring teams. ETSU owns a 5-1 lead in the all-time series which dates back to 2007-08 when Upstate entered the A-Sun and NCAA Division I. The Spartans are 1-2 at home in the series, taking an 85-78 victory on Jan. 4 in Spartanburg last year. ETSU claimed an 88-67 win in Johnson City on Feb. 22 last year. ETSU is ranked 20th in the latest CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Poll.

Fans can follow the action live online in a variety of ways. Live audio and live statistical updates will be available for free through the official Upstate Athletics website at www.upstatespartans.com. Live video will also be available for a fee on the website on ASun.TV.

Looking Back At Presbyterian College
Despite turning the ball over 30 times and having two players foul out, Upstate got a double-double from Chelsea McMillan and strong performances from Lauren McRoberts and Tee'Ara Copney to take a 78-73 overtime victory at Presbyterian College Thursday night. McMillan finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds to lead Upstate in the game. It marked her second double-double of the season and the 24th of her career. McRoberts nailed three three-pointers, including two in a row during an 8-0 run in the second half, and tallied 16 points and nine rebounds. Copney added 16 points and five steals. Upstate shot 50 percent from the field and a solid 38 percent from the arc in the game.

Battle Of Teams Picked Atop A-Sun Standings
When the A-Sun schedule was released, the first game of the A-Sun season for Upstate and ETSU had the two teams pitted against each other. The Spartans were picked to finish third in the preseason coaches poll, while ETSU, the defending A-Sun Tournament champion, was picked to finish second. It is a marquee matchup of two of the league's top teams entering the season. Saturday's game will also be a matchup between the A-Sun's top-two scoring teams. Upstate leads the conference at 71.5 points per game, while ETSU is second at 69.4 points per outing.

McMillan Tops 800 Career Points
Playing in her third and final season at Upstate (she played her freshman season at Sante Fe Community College in Florida), senior Chelsea McMillan topped the 800-point plateau with 20 points Thursday night at Presbyterian. She now has 818 points in her two-plus years playing for the Spartans. She is also closing in on a milestone in rebounding. She is just 11 rebounds shy of 600 in her Upstate career.

Copney Tops A-Sun In Scoring
A year ago, Tee'Ara Copney averaged just under 12 points per game en route to earning A-Sun Freshman of the Year honors. This season, she has upped her scoring production, leading the A-Sun with 19.0 points per game. She also ranks among the league leaders in five other statistical categories.

Battling The Injury Bug
Upstate has played the first part of the season with several nagging injuries. Lauren McRoberts missed a pair of games with a sprained ankle, while several other Spartans have missed practice time over the last two weeks with either injuries or illness. However, Upstate had everyone in uniform, with the exception of Christine Nyobe who is recovering from knee surgery in September, available a Presbyterian and will be at full force Saturday.

Scouting ETSU
ETSU enters Saturday's game at Upstate with a 2-3 overall record, but is on a three-game losing streak. The Buccaneers opened the season with two wins, taking a 77-60 victory at Chattanooga. The Buccaneers then took a 96-84 win against Richmond.

ETSU began its three-game losing streak with a 75-56 loss to Appalachian State. The Bucs lost, 80-47, at top 10 team Ohio State, then dropped an 87-71 decision at Middle Tennessee. They have not played since the loss to Middle Tennessee on Nov. 26.

ETSU is the second-leading scoring team in the A-Sun, behind Upstate, averaging 69.4 points per game. The Bucs shoot 39.7 percent from the field, 31.7 percent from the arc and 74.4 percent from the free throw line. They average 39 rebounds per game. Opponents shoot 42.3 percent from the field and 30.1 percent from the arc. Opponents also out-rebound ETSU by 3.8 rebounds per game.

Three ETSU players average in double figures. Tara Davis leads the way at 16.8 ppg. She also tops the Bucs with 22 assists on the year. Destiny Mitchell averages 11.6 points per outing and tops the club with 9.4 rebounds per contest. Latisha Belcher scores at a 10.4 ppg clip and averages six boards per game.

The remainder of the starting five, Gwen Washington and Natalie Pickwell, average 8.4 and 7.6 points per game, respectively.