Women's Basketball 11/14/2016 12:00:00 AM

Third Quarter Run Boosts Spartans to Victory at Presbyterian College

Box Score

Clinton, S.C. – Leading 29-24 at halftime, the USC Upstate women's basketball team outscored Presbyterian College 17-6 in the third quarter on their way to a 55-48 non-conference victory on Monday night at the Templeton Center.

Upstate improves to 2-0 on the season while Presbyterian College drops to 0-2.

Raven Jefferson led Upstate with 15 points, followed by Riley Popplewell and Tamera Thorpe with 11 each. Vanessa Agrusa also finished in double figures with 10 points. Popplewell just missed out on a double-double as she grabbed a team-leading nine rebounds.

Game Breakdown

Presbyterian College led 15-10 at the end of the first quarter. Thorpe led the Spartans with six points in the opening stanza.
With Presbyterian College leading 24-20 with 4:58 to play, Upstate went on a 9-0 run to close the second quarter and take a 29-24 lead into halftime.
Upstate held the Blue Hose to six points in the third quarter as the Spartans went on a 15-2 run from the 7:21 mark until the end of the period.
Presbyterian College made a late charge in the fourth quarter as they used a 9-0 run to slash the Spartan lead to 52-46 with 39 seconds remaining. The Blue Hose cut the Spartan lead to 53-48 with three seconds remaining before a pair of Popplewell free throws sealed the win for Upstate.

By the Numbers

The Spartans have won their first two games of the season for the first time since the 2013-14 season when they defeated Maryland Eastern Shore and Converse.
Monday's win is the fourth straight for Upstate at the Templeton Center.
Jefferson finished with three-plus 3-pointers for the first time this season and eighth time in her career.
Upstate's 16-point lead (46-30) at the end of the third quarter was the largest lead of the game for either team.
The Upstate bench outscored the Presbyterian College reserves 14-4.
Kaycie Reffner and Janie Miles each scored 14 points to lead the Blue Hose.
The Spartans finished the game shooting 37.0 percent (17-for-46).

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