Box Score (.pdf)

Spartanburg, S.C. – Senior guard Raven Jefferson scored 22 points but a fourth quarter rally by the USC Upstate women's basketball team fell short as the Spartans lost to North Florida 78-67 in the Hodge Center on Monday night. 

North Florida improves to 8-10 overall and 1-2 in the ASUN while Upstate drops to 8-10 and 1-2. 

Jefferson surpassed the 20-point mark for the fifth time in her career and third time against North Florida while tying a career-best six 3-pointers. She grabbed a team-best eight rebounds. Tamera Thorpe added 13 points off the bench. Brittney Delva dished out six assists while Bailey Wensler had a career-high three steals. 

Tesh Hanson led North Florida with 27 points and 12 rebounds. Sierra Shepherd scored 13 points, followed by Claire Ioannidis and Jaiveonna Norris with 11 points and Simone Brown with 10. 

Game Breakdown

• Riley Popplewell got the Spartans on the board first with a layup before the Ospreys went on a 7-0 run after an Ioannidis 3-pointer at the 6:44 mark. The Spartans would pull within four, 11-7, following a Wensler 3-pointer with 3:54 to play before the Ospreys closed out the period on 14-2 run for a 25-9 lead.  
• A Jefferson 3-pointer brought the Spartans to within 13, 27-14, before North Florida went on a 6-0 run for a 33-14 lead at the second quarter media timeout.  Popplewell sank a free throw with three seconds remaining for the final point in the quarter as North Florida led 40-24 at halftime.
• North Florida opened the third quarter on a 9-2 run as a Shepherd 3-pointer gave the visitors a 49-26 edge at the 7:51 mark. Norris' layup gave the Ospreys a game-high 25-point lead, 65-40, at the end of the third quarter.
• On the first two Upstate possessions in the fourth quarter, Jefferson hit 3-pointers to bring the Spartans to within 19, 65-46. Hanson completed a three-point play to give North Florida a 68-46 advantage with just over eight minutes left. A Jefferson jumper followed by a Rylie Parkhurst 3-pointer sparked an 8-2 run to bring Upstate within 11, 70-59 with 4:09 remaining.
• Simone Brown's free throw gave the Ospreys a 12-point edge with 2:44 to play. Thorpe cut the Spartan deficit to nine, 72-63, with 54 seconds remaining but Upstate would get no closer as Hanson and Ioannidis hit four free throws in an a span of eight seconds to seal the win.

By the Numbers

• Jefferson has scored 20 or more points in each of Upstate's last three home games against North Florida. Jefferson scored 20 points on Jan. 26, 2016 and 23 in the ASUN Tournament quarterfinal on March 4, 2016.
• Upstate scored a game-high 27 points in the fourth quarter as they outscored North Florida 27-13 in the frame.
• North Florida shot 61.1 percent from the field in the first quarter, the highest single-quarter field goal percentage of the game by either team. The Ospreys shot 20 percent from the field in the fourth quarter, which was the lowest single-quarter field goal percentage.
• North Florida was 15-for-20 (75 percent) at the free throw line while Upstate went 5-for-11 (45.5 percent) at the charity stripe.
• Upstate made 10 3-pointers, one shy of tying their season-high.
• Upstate's bench outscored North Florida 28-15.
• The Spartans committed a season-high 23 turnovers.
• North Florida held a 38-26 advantage in points in the paint and outrebounded Upstate 37-36. 

Up Next

• Upstate travels to Stetson on Saturday for a 1 p.m. matchup

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