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Post Game Notes

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SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Leading by just three points, 28-25, the USC Upstate men's basketball team wrapped a 20-0 run around halftime to take control of Sunday's contest as they defeated Victory University, 88-54, inside the Hodge Center.

With Sunday's victory, the Spartans improve to 5-2 on the season and match last season's win total while Victory dips to 7-5 on the season.

Victory grabbed the opening tip-off and took an early 2-0 lead on Keron Jackson's jumper just 14 seconds into the contest.  Upstate answered right back as Torrey Craig (Great Falls, S.C.) connected on a three-pointer from the wing.  Mario Blessing (Kusterdingen, Germany) assisted on Craig's triple as the Spartans took a 3-2 lead.

"It is good for our program to be 5-2 after November," said head coach Eddie Payne.  "We have a tough stretch of our schedule coming up, but we have to recognize milestones when we achieve them.  We have a few home wins, a road win and a neutral site win and while the schedule isn't as difficult as it has been in the past, our young players need to feel accomplished."

The two teams battled throughout the first half until Upstate appeared to begin to pull away behind a quick 6-0 spurt.  The Spartans moved in front 25-17 after Craig's trey with 9:08 remaining in the half.

The Eagles answered right back with a 6-0 run of their own to cut the deficit to just two points, 25-23 with 7:05 to play in the first half.

Trailing by five (28-23), Victory's Keron Jackson sank a jumper from inside the paint to cut the lead to three with 6:01 to play.  Jackson's field goal was the eighth of the half and gave him 19 points in the contest. 

Jackson's basket would be the final points for the visiting Eagles for nearly eight minutes and the Spartans took full advantage of Victory's scoring drought.

The Spartans closed the first half on a 17-0 run, to take a 45-25 lead into the locker room at intermission.  All 17 of Upstate's points during the run came from reserves as Adrian Rogers (Alpharetta, Ga.) scored the final six points of the half for the Spartans.  Shane Porchea (Decatur, Ga.) and Babatunde Olumuyiwa (Athens, Ga.) scored four points during the run while Carter Cook (Winston-Salem, N.C.) pitched in three.

"Everyone plays with the same intensity," Olumuyiwa said.  "We are all on the same page, so it doesn't matter if it is the starters or the next group of guys coming off of the bench, everyone is playing hard."

Upstate continued the run into the second half as Ty Greene (Knoxville, Tenn.) connected on a free throw and a jumper to complete the 20-0 run, putting Upstate in front, 48-25 with 18:40 to play.

Darryl Wright ended the Victory drought with a fast break lay-up with 18:10 to play.

Leading 52-31, Upstate used a 12-0 run over a span of 3:31 to move in front by 33 points (64-31) with 12:04 remaining in the second half.

Upstate's lead never dipped below 30 and the Spartans took its largest lead of the contest (38) when Olumuyiwa connected on a jumper in the paint.  The sophomore's basket gave the team a 77-39 advantage with 6:35 on the clock.

The Spartans return to action Thursday night when they wrap-up a three game homestand against Jacksonville State.