Spartans, Gamecocks Set for High Noon Battle Saturday
12/30/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Game Notes
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SPARTANBURG, S.C. – After nearly two weeks off from competition, the USC Upstate men's basketball team will return to the hardwood Saturday at South Carolina. Tip-off inside the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, S.C., is slated for Noon and will be broadcast live on SportsSouth.
Spartan fans that are unable to make the trek to Columbia, can catch the action on a variety of television providers. Those with DirecTV can catch the game on channel 649 or one of two overflow channels, 650 and 650-1. Fans with Dish Network services can watch the in-state battle on channel 437. Charter Cable subscribers will be able to see the game on channel 35 (standard definition) and channel 812 (high definition). Other television subscribers should check their channel lineup to determine what channel they will need to tune to.
For those fans that cannot watch on SportSouth, there are several ways you can follow the action from the opening tip to the final horn. Fans can follow the action by clicking the live stats and live video links above.
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Spartan Specs
• Ty Greene tied his career-high with 21 points in the 80-75 victory over FGCU (12/19/11). Greene connected on five field goals (four three-pointers) and was 7-for-8 at the charity stripe. In the second half, Greene scored 14 points as the Spartans led by as many as 10 in the final period.
• Ricardo Glenn finished with his second career double-double in as many games with 15 points and 10 rebounds at FGCU (12/19/11). Seven of Glenn's 10 rebounds came on the offensive glass.
• Against FGCU (12/19/11), Upstate again reached a new season-high with an 85.2% mark at the free throw line (23-27).
• Ty Greene posted a game-high and career-high 21 points at Stetson (12/17/11). Greene tied a career-high with seven made field goals (four were from beyond the arc).
• Ricardo Glenn picked up his first career double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds at Stetson (12/17/11). Glenn, who pulled down eight offensive rebounds, finished 4-for-8 from the field and was a perfect 4-for-4 at the line.
• Torrey Craig's streak of 20 or more points in a game was halted at Stetson (12/17/11) as the sophomore finished with 13 points on a 4-for-14 effort from the floor. During his four game stretch, Craig averaged 22.3 points per game. Against Jacksonville State (12/1/11), Craig had 20, including the game winning basket, followed by a career-best 28 points at UNC Asheville (12/4/11). He had 21 points in the Spartans' upset bid at Dayton (12/11/11) and 20 points at (2) Ohio State (12/14/11), including a stretch of seven straight points in the first half.
• 14 of Upstate's 15 steals at Stetson (12/17/11) were recorded by sophomore forwards (Maxey, 5; Glenn, 3; Olumuyiwa, 3; Craig, 2).
• At Stetson (12/17/11), the PG duo of Mario Blessing and Adrian Rodgers combined for zero turnovers. Rodgers also dished out a career-high six assists against the Hatters.
• As a team, the Spartans finished 81.0% (17-of-21) at the free throw line at Stetson. Prior to the 81.0% mark, the Spartans previous high this season was 76.5% (13-of-17) against Piedmont College (11/14/11).
• Upstate won its third straight conference opener with a 79-63 victory at Stetson (12/17/11). 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 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 became 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).
Today's Opponent – South Carolina
After opening the season 2-5, the Gamecocks have won four of their last five contests to sit at .500 for the season (6-6).
The Gamecocks have won their last two contests (SE Louisiana, Wofford). Anthony Gill tied a career-high with 14 points as the Gamecocks downed SE Louisiana (W, 62-43, 12/21/11). South Carolina shot a season-best 55 percent from beyond the arc in a 57-45 win over Wofford (12/28/11).
Malik Cooke is the only player averaging double figures in scoring (12.3 ppg); meanwhile Gill leads the team with 5.4 rebounds per contest.
Guard Bruce Ellington, who has appeared in six games while pulling double duty with the football and basketball teams, will not play Saturday. Following South Carolina's win over Wofford, Ellington left to join the football team in Orlando, Fla., in preparation for the squad's bowl game.
