Box Score (.pdf)

Highland Heights, Ky. – The sixth-seeded USC Upstate women's basketball team dropped a 64-45 decision to third-seed Northern Kentucky on Friday evening in the quarterfinals of the A-Sun Women's Basketball Tournament from Regents Hall.

Upstate (14-16) was led offensively by Brittany Clency and Shelby Hicks as both scored in double-figures. Clency scored a team-high 14 points for the Spartans and Hicks added her third double-double of the season on 10 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Travonda Haddock finished with six points and five rebounds.

Melody Doss recorded a game-high 14 points for the Norse and Kaitlyn Gerrety went 5-of-7 shooting for 13 points while grabbing a team-best seven rebounds. Christine Roush had nine points and Faith Sanders contributed eight.

Northern Kentucky (18-12) opened the game scoring the first five points on two free-throws by Roush and a three from Doss. Upstate answered with baskets from Haddock and Sharmayne Edwards to make it a 5-4 game with 16:07 left. The Spartans would go scoreless for the next four minutes as the Norse increased their lead to 11-4 after Molly Franson's jumper at the 12:51 mark.

After Clency's three-point play trimmed the Spartans deficit down to 11-7, Northern Kentucky recorded seven straight points over the next 4:39 to take an 18-7 lead with 7:20 remaining on a layup by Gerrety. Mar'Lisa Braxton ended the run with a layup at the 6:18 mark, and would get Upstate to within eight at 18-10 following her free-throw.

Hicks and Maddie Herr scored four consecutive points to cut NKU's lead to 20-14 with just under two minutes left in the half, but would be held to just one free-throw after that. Northern Kentucky took its largest lead of the half with 58 seconds left after two free-throws from Kelley Wiegman gave it a 24-15 advantage.

The Spartans began the second half on an 8-2 run to trail 25-23 after Clency's fast break layup off a Raven Jefferson steal. Jefferson began the run with a three just a minute into the period and back-to-back layups by Clency capped the run. Following an NKU timeout, Doss connected on a three to put the Norse back in front 28-23.

The teams traded field goals before Sanders extended Northern Kentucky's lead to 32-25 after her free-throw. Hicks responded less than a minute later as her jumper made it a 32-27 contest only to see the Norse post six straight points to take a 38-27 lead with 8:26 left. Upstate would get as close as 41-31 after Hicks's jumper with 7:14 to go, but NKU led by double-digits the rest of the game. Northern Kentucky took its largest lead of the contest at 64-43 on a layup by Shar'Rae Davis with 22 seconds remaining. A pair of Lauren Bogle free-throws put the final score at 64-45.

The Spartans finished the game shooting 27.6% (16-for-58) while the Norse went 21-of-57 (36.8%). Upstate held an 18-14 lead in points off turnovers and 8-0 in fast break points. The Spartans bench also outscored NKU 20-18.

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