Box Score (.pdf)

Nashville, Tenn. – Mike Cunningham registered his 11^th career game with at least 20 points on Wednesday evening as the USC Upstate men's basketball team fell to the Lipscomb Bisons 92-78 in ASUN play at Allen Arena.

USC Upstate falls to 6-17 overall and 1-5 in the conference while Lipscomb improves to 13-8 on the season and 3-3 in league play.

A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS

• The Spartans finished the game shooting 40.9 percent (27-of-66) from the field and limited the Bisons to just 4-of-20 shooting (20.0 percent) behind the 3-point line.
• Cunningham scored 20 or more points for the third time this season with a team-high 20 on 7-of-16 shooting and 4-of-6 behind the 3-point line.
• Cunningham was one of three USC Upstate players to score in double-figures as Ramel Thompkins added 15 points and Deion Holmes 12.
• Thompkins led the Spartans defensively with a team-best eight rebounds while Malik Moore contributed six.
• Cunningham also dished out five assists to go with four rebounds.
• Lipscomb had four players finish in double-digits scoring led by Rob Marberry with a game-high 24 points.
• Garrison Matthews contributed a double-double for the Bisons on 10 points and 11 rebounds.
• USC Upstate held a 6-4 advantage in fast break points and 19-14 in points off turnovers after forcing 19 in the game.
• The Spartans also compiled 24 points in the paint, 22 bench points and nine second chance points.

FIRST HALF BREAKDOWN

• USC Upstate held Lipscomb without a field goal for nearly four minutes to start the game as it led 4-3 with 17:42 left after Isaiah Anderson made one of two free throws.
• The Spartans led by one point twice over the course of less than a minute with the last coming at the 14:43 mark when Anderson made it a 10-9 contest with his layup.
• The Bisons took a two-point lead before USC Upstate got back-to-back field goals from Moore and Carson Smith to go back in front 16-14 with 12:44 remaining.
• The Spartans held their largest lead of the half at 19-16 with 10:31 to go after Jure Span connected on a 3-pointer.
• Lipscomb led for the final eight minutes of the first half.
• USC Upstate cut its deficit down to two points, 23-21, at the 7:13 mark on a layup by Anderson.
• After the Spartans made it a 32-29 game with 3:31 remaining on Smith's layup, the Bisons finished the half on a 10-0 run.
• Lipscomb held its largest lead of the half at 42-29 with 50 seconds left.
• The Bisons led by that 13-point margin at halftime.

SECOND HALF BREAKDOWN

• USC Upstate opened the second half by quickly cutting its lead down to 44-36 with 18:22 to go when Holmes completed a 3-point play.
• Holmes kept the Spartans at a 10-point margin three minutes later when his two free throws put the score at 46-38.
• Lipscomb led by 14 points three times over a two-minute run with the last coming at 57-43 with 12:45 remaining.
• USC Upstate got to within six points at 61-55 with 10:05 left when Thompkins made two free throws.
• The Bisons went back in front by 10 points the following series and led by double-digits the rest of the way.
• The Spartans got as close as 10 points three times the remainder of the game and trailed 76-66 at the 6:05 mark on a field goal by Thomas Booker.
• Lipscomb held its largest lead of the game at 92-75 with 23 seconds left.
• Cunningham's 3-pointer with 12 seconds to go made the final score at 92-78.

UP NEXT

• USC Upstate returns home on Saturday, January 27 to host Kennesaw State at 2 p.m.

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