BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Three Spartans hit double-figures and Barrett Herring made it five consecutive games with a career-high on Saturday afternoon, but USC Upstate ultimately fell 63-53 to Gardner-Webb inside Paul Porter Arena.

Herring won the tip-off and got USC Upstate (6-11, 1-7 BSC) on the board with a layup two minutes into the contest after Gardner-Webb (8-8, 3-4) opened the game on a 5-0 run. She hit another layup moments later to put the Spartans within two points of the Bulldogs at 6-4 going into the first media timeout. The Spartans would then suffer a scoring drought spanning nearly five and a half minutes until Riley Popplewell hit a jumper from Jada Logan with 1:16 remaining in the first quarter. The Spartans closed out the opening frame down 15-8.

The Bulldogs once again notched the first five points of the quarter in the second, but Herring quickly got four points back with a pair of free throws and a layup to make it 19-12. Kathryn Kirkwood later hit a turnaround step-back jumper to keep USC Upstate's deficit at seven points with 6:33 remaining in the period. A last-second block by Anda Kuzmina sent the Spartans into the halftime break down 31-18. After 20 minutes of play, Herring led the Spartans with eight points while Popplewell had six rebounds. Both Herring and Popplewell were perfect from the free throw line in the first half.

The Spartans came out strong in the third quarter on a 10-2 run sparked by Logan's basket as the shot clock expired a minute and a half into the frame. Following a Gardner-Webb basket, Popplewell sank a pair of free throws and Herring tipped in a rebound to cut USC Upstate's deficit to 33-28 and cap the run. Herring later executed an and-one to make the score 39-33, and that's where it would stay to close the third period as Herring came up with a big block to force a Gardner-Webb shot clock violation with three seconds remaining.

Gardner-Webb hit two quick baskets to go up 44-33 and force a Spartans timeout early in the closing frame. Herring came out of the timeout with a jumper, and the Bulldogs and Spartans would spend the next four minutes exchanging baskets. Kuzmina brought the Spartans back within 10 points of the Bulldogs with a free throw with just under two minutes left in the game. After exchanging several free throws, Gibbons hit her second 3-pointer of the period to once again cut her team's deficit to 10 points. Despite dropping the contest 63-53, the Spartans notched their most points in a fourth quarter (20) since the Charleston Southern game on December 28, 2019.
 
Notes
Upstate – Herring hit a career-high in her fifth consecutive game with a game-high 18 points. She also had seven rebounds, two steals, and a pair of blocks. Gibbons also scored in double-figures with 10 points. Popplewell pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds and was one point away from her 11^th career double-double with nine points. Breanna Jefferson contributed four assists, and the Spartans outshot the Bulldogs from the field at 37.5 percent compared to Gardner-Webb's 31.1 percent.

Gardner-Webb – Jhessyka Williams and Carley Plentovich each scored in double-digits with 15 and 14 points, respectively. Williams also posted a team-high eight boards, and C. Plentovich had four steals.

UP next for the Spartans
The Spartans return home to the G.B. Hodge Center Tuesday, January 21 to face Radford. Tip-off is set for 6:00 p.m.

Tickets
Start at $8.00 (adults), $5.00 (ages 3-17); 864-503-7190 and upstatespartans.com/tickets.

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