Box Score SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Junior guard Tee'Ara Copney (Asheville, N.C.) of the Upstate women's basketball team (1-14, 0-4 A-Sun) tallied her 1,000th-career-point as the Spartans dropped a 74-63 decision to Atlantic Sun Conference foe Kennesaw State (7-9, 2-3 A-Sun) today inside the Hodge Center.
Copney entered today's contest needing 11 points to reach 1,000 in her three-year career at Upstate. Her jumper with 42 seconds left in the first period gave her exactly 1,000. She went on to lead the Spartans with 22 points on the day, amassing 1,011 career-points.
Upstate played a competitive first half as the Owls took a 33-29 lead into the locker room at the break. The Spartans kept things close during the first seven minutes of the second stanza. However, after pulling within four-points off of a jumper from Upstate freshman Brianna Robinson (Columbia, S.C.), KSU went on an 18-6 run. The largest lead the Owls had was 17 with 5:28 to go in the second half and then again with 2:23 to play.
A trio of Spartans scored in double-figures today as Copney's 22 points marked her fourth 20-plus scoring effort this season and 12th time posting double-digits. Robinson totaled 15 points, while freshman Shelby Hicks (Greeneville, Tenn.) registered a career-high of 10 points.
Upstate junior Lauren McRoberts (Carmel, Ind.) snagged a team-high eight rebounds, while Copney pulled down six. Freshman Paulina Zaveckaite (Telsiai, Lithuania) also had six boards. Sophomore Kim Roach (Columbia, S.C.) added nine points and five rebounds for the Spartans.
The Owls were led by Taylor Mills with 19 points and six assists, while Sametria Gideon recorded a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds. Elaina Gray contributed 14 points and seven boards. Lisa Capellan helped with eight points and eight rebounds, while Kristina Wells also grabbed eight boards for Kennesaw.
The Spartans were out-rebounded 50-34 and turned the ball over 15 times compared to KSU's 14 turnovers. Despite the 11-point deficit, Upstate shot 36.8 percent from the floor, while Kennesaw shot 35.4 percent. The Spartans were 16.7 percent from behind the arc compared to the Owls' 27.8 percent from long distance. Upstate outscored KSU in the paint 30-28, but Kennesaw won the battle of second chances 21-8.
KSU owns a 18-7 overall advantage against the Spartans, including a 8-5 mark in Spartanburg, S.C. Upstate swept the Owls last season, beating them 75-67 at KSU Jan. 3, 2011 and 69-64 at the Hodge Center Jan. 31, 2011.
Upstate returns to action Monday, Jan. 9, hosting A-Sun opponent Mercer at 5 p.m. for Project Rebuild Night. Follow the Spartans this season on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
