Upstate Looks to Take Flight at Dayton
12/8/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Game Notes
Follow the Spartans on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – After taking time off from competition due to exams, the USC Upstate men's basketball team will return to the hardwood Sunday afternoon when it battles the Dayton Flyers at 2 p.m.
Sunday's contest between the Spartans and the Flyers will air on Fox Sports Ohio. FS Ohio is offered on Channel 660 or 661 on DirecTV, Channel 425 or 427 (5425 or 5427 HD) on Dish Network and Channel 732 or 734 (1732 or 1734 HD) on U-Verse. For those with other television providers, check your listings.
For those fans that do not have FS Ohio, 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 audio, live stats and live video links above.
Join the Conversation on Twitter: @UpstateSpartans
Hashtag: #UpstateMBB
Spartan Specs
• Sunday's contest at Dayton is the second of a seven-game road swing for the Spartans. Upstate will close out its Ohio swing Dec. 14 at No. 2 Ohio State, before heading to Florida for its first two league games of the year (Stetson, Dec. 17; Florida Gulf Coast, Dec. 19).
• The Spartans lead the A-Sun in rebounding defense (30.1), rebounding margin (+7.4) and offensive rebounds (15.7). The squad is second in the league in scoring margin (+6.2) and field goal percentage (.463).
• Upstate ranks 16th nationally in steals per game (9.8) and 36th in rebounding margin (+7.4).
• 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). He is just 21 points shy of career point number 600.
• 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 finished with three blocks while Ricardo Glenn picked up one.
• Torrey Craig, Ty Greene and Adrian Rodgers combined to hit 11 of Upstate's 13 free throws in the win over Jacksonville State (12/1/11).
• Five Spartans reached double-figures against Victory (11/27/11): Torrey Craig (16), Adrian Rodgers (14), Babatunde Olumuyiwa (12), Carter Cook (11) and Ty Greene (10).
• Against Victory (11/27/11) Shane Porchea scored a career-best eight points. He tied a career-mark with three made field goals. Babatunde Olumuyiwa tallied three of Upstate's four blocks; Carter Cook recorded the other Spartan rejection. Ty Greene led the Spartans with three assists, tying a career-high.
Today's Opponent - Dayton
After a 74-62 victory Wednesday night over No. 15 Alabama, the Flyers own a 6-3 record and a 3-1 mark at the University of Dayton Arena.
Dayton also picked up home wins over Western Illinois (W, 87-58, Nov. 12) and UNC Wilmington (W, 74-49, Nov. 19). The Flyers only home loss came at the hands of Buffalo (L, 55-84).
Kevin Dillard leads a quartet of players averaging double-figures. Dillard, who leads the team with 12.6 ppg , is followed by Josh Benson (11.3), Chris Johnson (11.3) and Paul Williams (10.1).
Matt Kavanaugh leads the squad in rebounding at 6.7 rpg, while Dillard owns the assist lead with 5.2 apg.
As a team, the Flyers connect on 75.2% of their free throw attempts, placing them 21st nationally.
Feeling Peachy
After nine games this season, the Spartans are 6-3 overall, matching the 6-3 start the 2006-07 squad posted. The '06-07 season was Upstate's final year as a member of the NCAA Division II's Peach Belt Conference. The team fell in the first round of the PBC Tournament and posted a 17-11 overall record.
Transition Complete
Upstate is competing in its first full season of Division I eligibility and the Spartans are eligible for A-Sun and NCAA Championships. Three other A-Sun members have recently made the leap to Division I. Kennesaw State and North Florida became full NCAA Division I members in 2009-10, while Florida Gulf Coast joins Upstate as full members in 2011-12.
Below is a comparison of the four teams after nine games of their first season of eligibility:
|
Team |
Season |
9-Game Rec. |
Overall/A-Sun Record |
Postseason |
Longest Win Streak |
|
Kennesaw State |
2009-10 |
4-5 |
13-20/7-13 (8th) |
A-Sun Semis. |
6 games |
|
North Florida |
2009-10 |
2-7 |
13-18/8-12 (7th) |
A-Sun Qtrs. |
5 games |
|
FGCU |
2011-12 |
3-6 |
3-6/1-0 |
-- |
2 games |
|
USC Upstate |
2011-12 |
6-3 |
6-3/-- |
-- |
4 games |
Road Trip!
After three consecutive home contests, Upstate began a seven-game road swing Dec. 4 at UNC Asheville. The Spartans owned an 81-72 advantage with 3:38 to play, but the Bulldogs scored the final 16 points of the game to claim an 88-81 victory inside Kimmel Arena. Before returning to the friendly confines of the Hodge Center to face Kennesaw State (1/7/12), the Spartans will battle Dayton, Ohio State, Stetson, Florida Gulf Coast, South Carolina and ETSU.
