Box Score (.pdf)

DeLand, Fla. – Mike Cunningham was one of three players to score in double-figures with a team-high 16 points as the USC Upstate men's basketball team concluded its three-game road trip to open conference play on Saturday afternoon with an 87-69 loss to the Stetson Hatters at the Edmunds Center.

Upstate falls to 5-15 on the season and 0-3 in conference play while Stetson improves to 10-9 overall and 2-1 in the league.

A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS

• The Spartans had three players score in double-figures led by Cunningham who scored 16 points highlighted by four 3-pointers.
• Ramel Thompkins came up just short of a double-double with 12 points and a team-high eight rebounds.
• Avery Diggs scored 10 or more points for the second straight game, and third time overall this season, with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting to go with seven rebounds.
• The Hatters had five players score in double-digits led by B.J. Glasford with a game-high 18 points.
• Abayomi Iyiola compiled a double-double on 12 points and 11 rebounds.
• Upstate finished the game shooting 38.7 percent (24-of-62) and made 10 3-pointers for the 13^th time this season.
• The Spartans held a 13-11 advantage in second chance points and also collected 22 bench points, 20 points in the paint and 15 points off turnovers.

FIRST HALF BREAKDOWN

• Stetson opened the game scoring six consecutive points on a pair of 3-pointers.
• Upstate answered with a 7-2 run and trailed 8-7 with 15:13 remaining on a 3-pointer by Cunningham.
• The Hatters led by as many as three points until the Spartans came back and took a 15-13 lead with 12:40 to go after Thompkins connected on a 3-pointer.
• Stetson followed with a 16-4 run and went in front 29-19 at the 6:11 mark.
• After going down by 11 points, Upstate got to within six points twice beginning at 33-27 with 4:01 left on a jumper by Thomas Booker.
• A 3-point play by Deion Holmes at the 2:19 mark put the Spartans down 36-30.
• The Hatters would go on a 10-0 run and took their largest lead of the half at 46-30 with 15 seconds left.
• Jure Span sent Upstate into halftime down 46-33 after knocking down a 3-pointer with four seconds left before intermission.

SECOND HALF BREAKDOWN

• Stetson started the second half on an 8-1 run and went ahead 54-34 at the 15:26 mark.
• Cunningham came back on the next possession with a 3-pointer and put the score at 54-37.
• The Hatters scored the following four points and led by at least 20 points for nearly a nine-minute stretch.
• Stetson took its largest lead of the game during that run at 67-39 with 10:59 remaining.
• The Spartans used a 16-7 run that lasted almost five minutes and were down 74-55 with 5:29 to go on a layup from Diggs.
• The Hatters would go back in front by 20 points for another four minutes and went into the final 1:30 leading 85-62.
• Upstate concluded the game on a 7-2 run with Booker scoring four points and Cunningham three.
• Booker's jumper with 17 seconds remaining made the final score 87-69.

UP NEXT

• The Spartans play their first home conference game of the season next Thursday, Jan. 18 when they host Jacksonville at 7 p.m.

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