Women's Basketball Opens 2016-17 Season on Friday
11/10/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Spartanburg, S.C. - The 43rd season of USC Upstate women's basketball will begin at the G.B. Hodge Center on Friday night as the Spartans open the 2016-17 season against crosstown opponent Converse College at 8:30 p.m. Friday's matchup is the second half of a doubleheader with the Upstate volleyball team.
Last season, Upstate posted a 22-12 overall record and 10-4 ASUN mark as the Spartans finished with the highest win total in the Division I era and third-most in program history. Upstate qualified for the WBI Tournament for the third time in program history and advanced to the WBI Semifinal thanks to wins over Northern Kentucky and Western Illinois.
Senior Raven Jefferson is the lone returning starter and was named to the ASUN Preseason All-Conference team. Jefferson averaged 9.4 points per game and 4.6 rebounds per game in 2015-16. Upstate must replace 1,000 point scorer and 1,000 rebounder Brittany Starling, 1,000 point scorer Brittany Clency, Travonda Haddock and Kristen Dickerson as starters from last season.
A total of five newcomers join Upstate for the season in Brittney Delva, Breanna Jefferson, Rylie Parkhurst, Riley Popplewell and Morgan Williams.
Converse posted a 7-19 overall record last season and went 6-16 in Conference Carolinas in the first season under head coach Dean Walsh. The Valkyries return three seniors and two sophomores while welcoming 13 newcomers. Converse was picked to finish in eighth place in Conference Carolinas this season.
Upstate leads the all-time series 30-4 and has won the last 19 meetings. The Spartans are opening at home for the first time since the 2011-12 season and are 14-3 all-time in season openers played at home.
Fans can follow the action in www.upstatespartans.com via live stats. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3. Updates will also be posted on the Upstate women's basketball Twitter page (@UpstateWB).
The Spartans open their road schedule on Monday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. at Presbyterian College.
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