Box Score (.pdf)

Asheville, N.C. – Brittany Clency scored a game-high 17 points but the UNC Asheville Bulldogs defeated USC Upstate 68-59 in non-conference action at Kimmel Arena on Friday afternoon. 

UNC Asheville improves to 4-1 while USC Upstate falls to 4-3. 

Clency scored 17 points while tying her career high with three three-pointers on a season-best six three-point attempts. Travonda Haddock scored a season-high 13 points and was one point shy of tying her career best.  Brittany Starling scored eight points while pulling down a game-high 13 rebounds.

Tiana Knuckles led the Bulldogs with 14 points, followed by Ja'Da Brayboy with 11 points and 10 each from Paige Love and Khaila Webb. 

Upstate jumped out to a 5-2 lead thanks to a Clency jumper and a three-pointer. The Bulldogs responded with a 5-0 run to lead 9-4 at the media timeout and a 14-7 advantage with 2:57 remaining in the opening quarter. UNC Asheville led 16-11 with 50 seconds remaining before a Clency three-pointer and a jumper beat the buzzer as the first quarter ended with the teams tied at 16. 

A pair of layups from Tamera Thorpe and Starling gave Upstate a 22-18 lead in the second quarter before a Wall three-pointer gave the hosts a 23-22 lead. Vanessa Agrusa tied the contest at 27 following a jumper with just over two minutes remaining. A'Lexxus Davis sank a pair of free throws just before halftime as UNC Asheville took a 33-29 lead into the break. 

UNC Asheville opened the third quarter on a 12-4 run as they led 45-33 with 4:08 to play in the frame. Webb gave the hosts a 50-35 lead, their largest of the game, after making both free throws at the 1:12 mark. The Bulldogs led 50-37 at the end of three quarters, scoring six points off of Spartan turnovers in the period. 

Upstate cut the deficit to nine, 50-41, as Haddock successfully completed the old-fashioned three-point play followed by a Kristen Dickerson free throw with 9:14 to play. UNC Asheville answered with a 6-0 run following a Knuckles three-pointer with 7:46 remaining. Agrusa made her second three-pointer of the game to cut the deficit to 67-57 with 34 seconds remaining before Clency sank the game's final basket on a jumper with three seconds left for the 68-59 final score. 

The Spartans shot 22-for-71 (31 %) with a 5-for-21 (23.8%) mark behind the three-point line. UNC Asheville finished the game 22-for-62 (35.5 %) and were 21-for-26 at the free throw line. UNC Asheville outrebounded Upstate 48-45 and outscored the Spartan bench 24-13. Both teams scored 24 points in the paint. 

Upstate returns to the Hodge Center on Tuesday, welcoming UNC Greensboro for a 7 p.m. contest. The Spartans are 2-0 at home in 2015-16. 

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