Swain Lifts Spartans to Overtime Victory over South Carolina State

Monday, December 12

Orangeburg, S.C.

6 pm

University of South Carolina Upstate Athletics

5-6

South Carolina State

3-4

Team	1	2	3	4	OT 1	F
USC Upstate	17	14	10	17	15	73
South Carolina St.	16	12	10	20	9	67

12/12/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Box Score (.pdf)

Orangeburg, S.C. – DeNisha Swain scored a career-high 19 points as the USC Upstate women's basketball team earned a 73-67 overtime victory over South Carolina State in Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center.

Upstate improves to 5-6 while South Carolina State falls to 3-4.

Swain surpassed her previous high of 15 points as four Spartans finished in double figures. Raven Jefferson finished with 14 points, nine of which came during the overtime period. Bailey Wensler added 12 points while Vanessa Agrusa scored 10 points. Tamera Thorpe led Upstate with eight rebounds.

Brittany Drumgoole scored a game-high 25 points to lead the Lady Bulldogs. JaQuanna Murray posted a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Jahmia Bradley added 14 points with nine rebounds and a game-high four blocks.

Game Breakdown

South Carolina State opened the game on a 9-3 run before a Swain 3-pointer cut the deficit to 9-8 at the 4:52 mark of the first quarter. An Agrusa layup gave the Spartans a 10-9 lead as Upstate led 17-16 after the first quarter.
Murray gave the hosts a 22-19 lead following a jumper with 8:07 to play in the second quarter before a 6-0 Spartan run capped by a Swain 3-pointer gave Upstate a 25-22 edge with just over six minutes remaining. Drumgoole gave the hosts a 26-25 edge with 4:56 remaining before Upstate closed out the quarter on a 6-2 run for a 31-28 halftime lead.
The Spartans would not trail during the third quarter as they 41-38 at the end of the period.
A Wensler 3-pointer followed by a Swain layup gave the Spartans their largest lead of the game, 46-38, with 7:59 to play in regulation.
Swain gave the Spartans a 54-49 lead after a layup with 3:34 to play in the fourth quarter. South Carolina State cut the lead to one just over a minute later before tying the game at 56 thanks to a Drumgoole 3-pointer with 1:59 to go. Agrusa gave the Spartans a 58-56 edge before Drumgoole sank a pair of free throws with 36 seconds remaining to even the score at 58. Drumgoole would miss a 3-pointer as time expired to send the game into overtime.
Swain opened the overtime scoring with a layup 56 seconds into the period as the Spartans would not trail in the extra session. Jefferson made 3-pointers on two consecutive possessions followed by a Wensler 3-pointer on the next Spartan possession for a 69-64 Upstate lead. Jefferson hit three free throws in the final 11 seconds to seal the win.

By the Numbers

Upstate earned its first overtime victory since a 71-64 victory at Norfolk State on Nov. 15, 2012. The Spartans had lost their last three overtime contests.
The game featured seven ties and nine lead changes. Neither team led by more than eight points.
The nine 3-pointers made by Upstate tied a season-high.
Upstate held a 45-43 edge in rebounds.
The Spartan reserves outscored the South Carolina State bench 30-27.
Upstate shot 36.8 percent from the field while South Carolina State finished at 36.5 percent.

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