Upstate Kicks-off Conference Play Saturday at Stetson
12/16/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Game Notes
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SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The USC Upstate men's basketball team will open its 2011-12 Atlantic Sun Conference slate Saturday afternoon at Stetson. Tip-off inside the Edmunds Center is slated for 3:15 p.m.
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Spartan Specs
• Upstate looks to win its third straight conference opener Saturday at Stetson. Last season, the Spartans opened conference play with a thrilling 60-59 win over ETSU (Hodge Center, 12/5/10). Chalmers Rogers lay-up with three seconds remaining gave the Spartans the one point win. Upstate opened the 2009-10 conference season with a 78-56 win over Stetson in the Hodge Center (11/30/09).
• Torrey Craig reached the 20-point plateau for the fourth consecutive game with a 20-point performance in Upstate's four-point loss at Dayton (12/11/11). Craig had 20, including the game winning basket, against Jacksonville State (12/1/11), followed by a career-best 28 points at UNC Asheville (12/4/11) and 21 points in the Spartans' upset bid at Dayton (12/14/11).
• Upstate connected on 50.9% of its field goal attempts (29-of-57) at Dayton (12/11/11). It was the first time this season the Spartans dropped a contest despite shooting 50.0% or better from the floor.
• Against the Flyers, the PG duo of Adrian Rodgers and Mario Blessing combined for seven assists.
• The Spartans lead the A-Sun in rebounding defense (28.9), rebounding margin (+6.8) and offensive rebounds (14.6). The squad is second in the league in field goal percentage (.466) and steals (9.1 spg)
• Torrey Craig posted a career-high 28 points at UNC Asheville (12/4/11). He finished 7-of-16 from the floor and a perfect 10-for-10 at the charity stripe. Craig becomes the first player to hit 10 or more FTs in a single game since the 2009-10 campaign (Pat Posey, 12, vs. Jacksonville, 1/31/10).
• Chalmers Rogers had eight points at halftime and finished with a career-best 10 points against UNC Asheville (12/4/11).
• Mario Blessing and Torrey Craig combined for eight of Upstate's 14 assists against the Bulldogs (12/4/11).
• Against Jacksonville State (12/1/11), Torrey Craig connected on what proved to be the game-winner with 18 seconds to play. His jumper in the paint was career field goal number 200. He was the only player on either team to reach double figures and he finished with a double-double (20 points, 13 rebounds).
• Babatunde Olumuyiwa and Torrey Craig were the only two Spartans to make three or more field goals against the Gamecocks (12/1/11).
• Ty Greene recorded two assists against Jacksonville State (12/1/11), as a team the Spartans had just seven assists. Torrey Craig, Ty Greene and Adrian Rodgers combined to hit 11 of Upstate's 13 free throws in the win.
