Upstate Closes Home Stand Sunday against UNC Asheville
12/20/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Game Notes (.pdf)
Spartanburg, S.C. – The USC Upstate women's basketball team hosts the UNC Asheville Bulldogs Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. to wrap up a three-game home stand before the Christmas break.
Upstate enters the weekend matchup with a 6-5 record after winning its ninth straight home game Wednesday night, 75-69, against Morehead State. UNC Asheville currently sits at 3-7 overall following a 79-66 defeat to Western Carolina on Wednesday.
The Spartans received a career-high 17 points off the bench from Raven Jefferson in the six-point victory over Morehead State, extending Upstate's home winning streak to nine for the first time since 1989-90. Jefferson was one of four Spartans to finish with 10 or more points as she was joined by Brittany Clency (13), Sharmayne Edwards (12) and Brittany Starling (10). Starling also led the team with nine rebounds.
Edwards and Starling are each averaging over 10 points per game for Upstate this season with Edwards scoring a team-high 14.5 points to rank fifth in the A-Sun. Starling and Clency are both fifth in the league in their respective category as Starling pulls down 8.5 rebounds and Clency contributes 3.3 assists per contest.
The Bulldogs are under the direction of third-year head coach Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick, who holds a career record of 16-55. The UNC Asheville offense is led by Tianna Knuckles with 10.4 points per game off the bench. Jeannie Buckner pulls down a team-leading 6.5 rebounds per game and Brittany Gwyn dishes out 3.1 assists per contest.
UNCA leads the all-time series over the Spartans 6-4 dating back to the 1975-76 season. Upstate has won the last three meetings including a 67-66 last-second victory last season in Asheville. Starling led four players in double-figures with 17 points in the 150th career victory for head coach Tammy George. Starling added eight rebounds, and Clency collected eight rebounds and a career-high four blocks.
Fans can follow the action on www.upstatespartans.com via live stats. The game is being televised on ESPN3. Updates will also be posted on the Upstate women's basketball Twitter page (@UpstateWB).
The Spartans return from the break on Tuesday, Dec. 30 when they travel to Charleston, S.C. to face College of Charleston at 7 p.m.
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