University of South Carolina Upstate Athletics
5-5
Furman
6-4
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Furman | 23 | 17 | 16 | 19 | 75 |
| USC Upstate | 17 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 63 |
Furman Tops Upstate despite Starling's Double-Double
12/12/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Box Score (.pdf)
Spartanburg, S.C. - Brittany Starling recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 13 points and 17 rebounds, but it wasn't enough as the Spartans lost 75-63 to Furman in a non-conference matchup at the Hodge Center on Saturday.
Upstate had four players finish in double figures. Raven Jefferson led Upstate with 15 points, followed by Starling, Travonda Haddock and Kristen Dickerson with 13 points each. Starling led the Spartans with 17 rebounds, 11 of them on the offensive glass and tied a career high with four assists. DeNisha Swain finished with a career-high five assists. Haddock finished with a game-high three blocks and a career-high 36 minutes.
Whitney Bunn led Furman with 18 points, with 16 points each from Kelsey Ellis and Holli Wilkins. Cierra Carter scored 11 points and had a team-leading eight rebounds. Bunn dished out nine assists.
Furman opened the game with two straight baskets before the Spartans evened the game at four following a Starling jumper and Dickerson layup. A pair of Ellis three-pointers and a Bunn jumper gave the Paladins a 14-8 lead at the 3:46 mark. Jefferson's layup with 3:14 to play brought the Spartans to within four, 14-10, but Furman would take a 23-14 lead following Cierra Carter's old-fashioned three-point play with 11 seconds remaining. Jefferson finished the opening quarter with nine points after sinking a three-pointer with four seconds left as Furman led 23-17 following the first quarter.
The Paladins led by nine points, 31-22, before the Spartans went on a 6-0 run to pull to within three, 31-28, with 4:47 to play in the frame. Furman answered, using a pair of jumpers from Wilkins and one from Ellis for a 6-0 run and a 37-28 advantage at the 2:54 mark. A pair of Jefferson free throws and a Swain layup brought the hosts to within five, 37-32, but Furman would push their lead back to eight with just over a minute to play. A'Lexxus Davis scored the final points of the half on a jump shot with 46 seconds left as Furman led 40-34 at intermission.
Upstate opened the third quarter with a 6-2 run to pull within one, 42-41. Furman responded with a 6-0 run, claiming a 48-41 edge at the media timeout. Haddock's layup with 3:14 brought the Spartans to within 50-45 before the Paladins sank a pair of shots for a 54-45 advantage. The Paladins led 56-49 at the end of the quarter.
Dickerson sank two free throws to bring Upstate back within five, 56-51, but the Paladins pushed their lead to 10 points, 64-54, following a Shianne Goodwin layup. Upstate pulled to within eight points, 67-59, thanks to a Starling free throw at the 2:33 mark. Furman responded with a Bunn three-pointer before Starling hit two free throws with 1:51 to play to bring the hosts back within nine, 70-61. A Bunn three-pointer followed by a Wilkins layup gave the Paladins a 75-61 lead before a Starling layup with 40 seconds remaining served as the final basket of the contest.
Furman finished 28-for-53 (52.8%) from the field while Upstate was 25-for-72 (34.7%). The Paladins were 11-for-12 (91.7%) from the free throw line while the Spartans finished 9-for-16 (56.3%). Upstate outscored Furman 30-20 in the paint and held a 45-36 advantage on the glass.
USC Upstate begins a two-game road trip on Monday, facing Morehead State at noon.
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