SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The USC Upstate men's basketball team erased a 13-point second half deficit on Saturday at the Eddie and Ann Payne Arena at the G. B. Hodge Center, but Youngstown State snatched away the victory in the final two minutes, 66-61.
Everette Hammond led the Spartans with 18 points and was joined by three teammates in double figures –
Nevin Zink,
Bryson Mozone and
Cartier Jernigan each with 10 points. It's the first time since February 16 of last season that Upstate has had four score in double figures against a Division I foe.
Youngstown State (3-3) was led by Darius Quisenberry with 22, Jelani Simmons with 12 and Michael Akuckie notched a double-double, 11 points and 10 rebounds.
The Penguins expanded on a 31-26 halftime lead early in the second half, eventually taking a 39-26 advantage on a Jelani Simmons jump shot with 16:40 remaining. The Spartans (1-6) chipped away at the YSU lead over the next 12 minutes and erased the deficit on
Cartier Jernigan's trifecta with 4:23 to go.
Brandon Martin's contested layup with 2:31 remaining put Upstate up 4, however they would go the remainder of the game without a point and the Penguins would retake the lead thanks to a Simmons 3-pointer and six made Darius Quisenberry free throws in the final 51 seconds.
Notes
Everette Hammond notched his 12
th career double figure scoring game.
Nevin Zink has started 37 straight games in a Spartan uniform.
The Penguins were 25-of-32 from the free throw line, while the Spartans were 13-of-17 at the charity stripe.
UP next for the Spartans
Saturday, November 30 at Charlotte, 7:00 pm
Next home game: Tuesday, December 3 vs. Eastern Kentucky, 6:00 pm
Tickets
Start at $8.00 (adults), $5.00 (ages 3-17); To order, call 864-503-7190 or buy online at
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