ROCK HILL, S.C. – USC Upstate women's basketball got off to a hot start Friday night against Winthrop and used a 9-0 run in the closing minutes of the game to defeat the Eagles 56-49 at Winthrop Coliseum. Marnicha Prudent notched a double-double and three Spartans scored in double-figures to help Upstate secure its first Big South Conference victory of the season and improve to 3-4 overall on the year.

Upstate won the opening tip and immediately got things going with a driving layup from McKinley Brooks-Sumpter in the first 16 seconds of the game. Prudent's aggressiveness under the goal pushed the Spartans to a 9-2 lead less than three minutes in, and a 3-pointer from Denijsha Wilson forced a Winthrop timeout with 6:11 left in the opening quarter. Upstate used an early 12-0 run in the period to end the frame with a 19-14 lead.

Dakota McCaughan drained a 3-pointer to get Upstate back to a double-digit lead before executing her no-look pass to Wilson for another Spartan triple that gave Upstate a 29-16 lead with 4:58 to go in the second frame. A 10-0 run to end the second quarter sent Upstate into halftime up 31-16.

The Spartans would push their lead to 19 points three minutes into the third period, but Winthrop quickly clawed its way back into the game as the Eagles went on a 13-0 run spanning 1:56 to cut their deficit to just five points. Winthrop took its first lead of the game with 6:01 remaining in the fourth period and still held a 49-47 lead with 2:53 to go in the final frame until Prudent tied things back up at 49-all with 2:35 left.

In the final minute, Denijsha Wilson took a steal all the way down the court and drew a foul on a layup to complete a three-point play and help the Spartans end the game on a 9-0 run to hold on for the win.

Notes

• It was a game of runs as Upstate had a 12-0 and 10-0 run in the first half to reach a 19-point lead before the Eagles used a 13-0 run to cut their deficit to five points and get back in the game. Upstate then sealed the deal on a 9-0 run to end the game.
• Denijsha Wilson paced all scorers in the game with 17 points. She shot 3-for-6 beyond the arc, tying a career-high three 3-pointers made in a game.
• Marnicha Prudent recorded her second double-double of the season with a 16-point, 15-rebound effort to set a career-high in both categories.
• McKinley Brooks-Sumpter finished the night with 13 points and eight boards. She has scored in double-figures in all five appearances this season.
• Lillian Flantos tied a career-high eight rebounds.

UP next for the Spartans
The Spartans will take a brief break before hitting the court again when they host High Point in a back-to-back conference series Dec. 30-31. Tip-off is set for 2:00 p.m. on both Wednesday and Thursday from the G.B. Hodge Center in Spartanburg.

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