SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The USC Upstate women's basketball team had three players end the game in double-figures and that proved to be the difference in a 70-62 victory over Western Carolina on Tuesday afternoon in front of a sold out crowd at the Eddie and Ann Payne Arena located inside the G.B. Hodge Center.
 
USC Upstate (2-1) improved to 4-3 at home against Western Carolina (1-3) and cut down the Catamounts overall series lead to just two games. This season the Spartans are averaging 72.0 points per game inside the G.B. Hodge Center and they have racked up a 2-0 record in the process.
 
Brianna Lewis (Chicago, Ill.) recorded her eighth career 20 point game on Tuesday morning. Lewis led the team in scoring and was a perfect four-for-four from the free throw line to help ice the game for USC Upstate. Junior forward Michaela Gibbons (Troutman, N.C.) attempted a career high 13 three-pointers and finished with 16 points in the contest.
 
Freshman point guard Jada Logan (Rutherfordton, N.C.) finished the game with one of the more impressive stat lines finishing with 10 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds. For the third consecutive game Kathryn Kirkwood (Milwaukee, Wis.) was the highest scorer off the bench with a 9 point and team leading 8 rebound performance against the Catamounts. USC Upstate was plus 12 with Kirkwood on the floor it was the highest plus or minus rating for either team.
 
Western Carolina also had a trio of scorers finish the game in double-figure scoring. Jewel Smalls led the team with a 17 point, 10 rebound performance against the Spartans. Andrea Martin Ruiz added 13 points and Alyssa Walker added 12 points on four-of-eight shooting.
 
Despite their being 14 lead changes in the match, the Spartans held possession for almost 27 minutes of action. The Spartans had their best shooting performance in the fourth quarter, shooting 53 percent from the field, 60 percent from three-point range and 66 percent from the free throw line. USC Upstate scored 19 points off of Western Carolina miscues and 12 points off of both fast breaks and second chance opportunities. For a third consecutive game the Spartans have outrebounded their opponents.   
 
The USC Upstate women's basketball team will have a few days off before battling Mars Hill on Saturday night at 6:00 p.m. The women's basketball team will be raising money and awareness for Pediatric Cancer this Saturday night.
 
To purchase tickets, for Upstate Spartans basketball, shop online at upstatespartans.com or call, 864-503-7190.  Follow Upstate women's basketball on Facebook (UpstateAthletics), Twitter (@UpstateWB), Instagram (@upstatespartans) and YouTube (USCUpstateAthletics).