Spartans Close Year on Friday Hosting Allen
12/29/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Game 16: Allen (5-8) vs. USC Upstate (8-7)
Friday | Dec. 30, 2016 | 2:00 p.m. EST
Spartanburg, S.C. | G.B. Hodge Center
Live Stats | TV: WatchESPN | Game Notes
Spartanburg, S.C. – Following nine days off during the Christmas holidays, the USC Upstate men's basketball team closes 2016 on Friday afternoon at 2 p.m. when the Spartans host the Allen Yellow Jackets from the G.B. Hodge Center.
Upstate went into the break following a 91-59 victory at home over Florida College on Dec. 20 led by a career-high 25 points off the bench for Philip Whittington. He led four Spartans in double-figures after shooting a career-best 12-of-14 from the field, while Michael Buchanan added his second straight double-double, and seventh of the season, on 19 points and 13 rebounds. Malik Moore added 16 points and Mike Cunningham 10.
Upstate finished the game shooting 50.7 percent (37-of-73) as a team and held a 44-28 advantage in rebounds. The Spartans also led 48-14 in points in the paint, 25-14 in points off turnovers, 20-2 in second chance points, 12-4 in fast break points and 30-12 in points from the bench.
Allen has earned victories this season over Morris, Montreat, Francis Marion, Bryan and Point. The Yellow Jackets are under the direction of second-year head coach Nelson Jones. Arvel Atwater leads the team offensively with 11.8 points per game and also contributes a team-leading 4.8 rebounds per contest.
Upstate and Allen are meeting for the seventh time in program history with the Spartans holding a 6-0 lead in the all-time series. The teams are facing each other for the first time since the 1991-92 season when Upstate defeated the Yellow Jackets 92-43 in Spartanburg. The Spartans also hold a 3-0 advantage when playing at the G.B. Hodge Center.
Fans can follow the action on www.upstatespartans.com via live stats. The game is being streamed live on WatchESPN and the ESPN app. Updates will also be posted on the Upstate men's basketball Twitter page (@UpstateMB).
The Spartans close out non-conference play on Monday, Jan. 2 when it travels to Kansas City, Mo. for a 7:35 p.m. EST matchup against UMKC.
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