Feb. 13, 2010

Box Score

Spartanburg, S.C. - In the final home men's game in the "old" Hodge Center before renovations begin in March, Nick Schneiders blocked five shots and broke his own single-season blocked shots record, but Belmont was able to hold off Upstate to take a 70-57 victory in A-Sun men's basketball action in the Hodge Center Saturday night.

Saturday was Senior Day as Upstate honored seniors Cedric Koffi, Pat Posey and Schneiders in a ceremony before the game. When the game started, Schneiders looked determined to go out a winner in his final game at home. He finished with 22 points, one off of his career high, and added five blocks and three steals. In the end, though, Belmont was just strong enough to hold off Upstate to take the win.

"What Cedric went through and how he handled himself is something special," said Upstate head coach Eddie Payne. Koffi had to sit out his entire junior season and the first 12 games of his senior year due to an NCAA eligibility ruling. He decided to stay at Upstate to finish his college career after transferring to Upstate from Sheridan Junior College. "Pat has come in and given us a really solid effort this year. He has really improved his play."

"Nick did a lot of really good things tonight. What he has accomplished here has been special. He came here with zero basketball background. He took a leap of faith to come here. For him to progress and accomplish the things he has done athletically and academically, he has been a real asset and a terrific ambassador for this University."

Belmont improved to 16-10 overall and 11-5 in the A-Sun. The Bruins sit atop the A-Sun standings. Upstate fell to 5-20 overall and 5-11 in the league.

"I thought we got outworked and didn't play with enough intensity to win the basketball game," said Payne. "That was apparent in the rebounding numbers and a large number of turnovers. After our performance Thursday night (when the Spartans claimed a seven-point win over Lipscomb), this was disappointing."

Upstate grabbed the lead in the first half and built a nine-point advantage, 14-5, nearly seven minutes into the game. Belmont, which looked rusty after spending all night on its bus trapped on Interstate 85 in Georgia due to the heavy snowfall that blanketed the Southeast, began to settle in. The Bruins used a 14-2 run to open a 19-16 lead with 7:38 to play before the break.

Upstate tied the game at 20-20, but the Bruins outscored Upstate 11-4 over the next five minutes and went into the half with a 36-30 lead.

Both Upstate and Belmont were on fire in the first half. The Spartans shot 53.8 percent from the floor, while Belmont shot 54.2 percent.

Upstate continued to battle in the second half and cut the lead to five with 13:28 to play. Despite the Spartans' effort, Belmont was able to withstand any run Upstate tried to pull off.

Belmont used an 8-1 spurt to open a 12-point lead with 8:59 to play. Upstate cut the lead to seven with 1:14 to play, but could get no closer.

Upstate held Belmont to 29.7 percent shooting in the second half, but the Spartans failed to capitalize and shot just 29.6 from the floor. The Bruins also out-rebounded Upstate, 45-32, and forced the Spartans into 18 turnovers. Those two things combined allowed Belmont to take 12 more shots than the Upstate.

Ian Clark led Belmont with 22 points and five rebounds. Kerron Johnson added 11 points and five assists. Mick Hedgepeth was solid, finishing with eight points and eight rebounds.

Posey finished with 11 points and a career-high five assists to help lead Upstate. Mezie Uzochukwu added 10 points and four boards. Koffi finished with four assists on Senior Day.