Box Score Box Score (.pdf)
Tuscaloosa, Ala. – Briana Hutchen scored a game-high 21 points and pulled down 10 rebounds as Alabama held off a late second-half charge by USC Upstate for a 74-65 victory Tuesday evening in non-conference action from Foster Auditorium.
Upstate drops to 4-4 on the season while the Crimson Tide improve to 6-3 overall.
The Spartans had four players score in double-figures led by Sharmayne Edwards, who tied Hutchen with a game-high 21 points. Brittany Starling added 14 points and Brittany Clency chipped in 10. Shelby Hicks collected her second double-double of the season with 11 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
Nikki Hegstetter recorded 12 points to join Hutchen in double-digits. Hegstetter and Karyla Middlebrook combined for 11 assists, as Middlebrook dished out seven and Hegstetter four.
Starling scored the first six points of the game for Upstate with her last giving the Spartans a 6-3 lead less than two minutes into the game. Alabama would take its first lead on a layup by Hutchen as part of a 15-4 run over a 4:29 span. A layup from Ashley Williams gave the Crimson Tide an eight-point cushion, 18-10, with 13:10 left. Alabama led by as many as eight four times in the first half.
Upstate got back to within three, 22-19, at the 8:22 mark as Clency's three capped an 8-4 run. The Spartans fell behind by eight just over two minutes later, but fought back to a three-point deficit when a three from Edwards put the score at 31-28 with 2:37 left. After Hutchen put the Crimson Tide back in front by eight, Upstate scored five quick points from Hicks and Kristen Dickerson to trim its deficit to 38-33 with 22 seconds remaining. Meoshonti Knight sent Alabama into halftime in front 40-35 following her last-second layup.
The Spartans maintained a three-point margin to start the second half when Clency and Edwards connected on back-to-back three's to put the score at 44-41 just 2:14 into the period. Upstate would then be held scoreless for the next 5:17 as the Crimson Tide notched 11 straight points to increase their cushion over the Spartans to 55-41. Alabama took its largest lead of the game five minutes later after a free-throw by Williams made the score 64-45.
Upstate outscored the Crimson Tide 15-6 during a 5:07 stretch to cut their lead to 70-60 after a pair of free-throws by Dickerson. The Spartans stayed within ten until three consecutive free-throws from Starling and Dickerson put the final score at 74-65.
Upstate finished the game shooting 39.0% (23-of-59) as a team, and went 6-for-14 (42.9%) from three and 13-of-17 (76.5%) at the free-throw line.
Alabama went 25-of-50 shooting for a 50.0% clip, while registering a 35.7% (5-of-14) mark from three-point range and was 19-for-31 (61.3%) at the charity stripe.
The Spartans held an 8-2 advantage in fast-break points and tied 9-9 in second-chance points.
Upstate closes its two-game road trip Saturday afternoon at Western Carolina with tipoff set for 4 p.m.
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