SPARTANBURG, S.C. – USC Upstate women's basketball dropped a Big South Conference match-up against the High Point Panthers 60-52 on Wednesday afternoon at the Eddie and Ann Payne arena inside the G.B. Hodge Center.

Three Spartans scored in double-figures and McKinley Brooks-Sumpter notched her second career double-double with a career-high 24 points as Upstate lost game one of the back-to-back series. Upstate currently sits at 3-5 (1-2 BSC) this season.

"We didn't get off to a very good start today. We went to the locker room and talked about moments that we could've had back. We beat [High Point] in two of the four quarters, but I don't know if a month ago we would've even battled. We struggled to score the ball and had 22 turnovers against a team that doesn't really pressure. We have to take care of the ball," head coach Becky Burke said. "We have to figure how to counter the adjustments that High Point will make, and we'll be ready tomorrow. With a little more help on the offensive end, we'll be okay."

The Panthers started off hot sinking three triples to secure an early lead, and turnovers would prove detrimental to the Spartans throughout the game as High Point scored 11 points off turnovers in the first quarter alone.

The Spartans picked up their defensive intensity during the second quarter resulting in two steals and ten defensive rebounds. Upstate cut its deficit to just five points with an 8-0 run toward the end of the second frame and entered halftime down just 33-27. Brooks-Sumpter finished the first half with seven rebounds and 15 points on 7-for-12 shooting.

The Spartans would come within three points of the Panthers on a layup from Denijsha Wilson at 7:05 of the third period, and in the closing seconds of the frame, Brooks-Sumpter snagged a rebound to record her double-double heading into the final period. Despite outscoring High Point in the fourth quarter, Upstate could not quite overcome their deficit as the Panthers took game one in the series.

Notes

• Upstate attacked the glass and outrebounded High Point 47-29 in the game, a season-high for the Spartans as a team.
• McKinley Brooks-Sumpter recorded her second 20-plus point effort of the season and paced all scorers in the game with 24 points. She also pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds for her second career double-double. The freshman has now scored in double-figures in every appearance so far this season and leads the Spartans in scoring with 15.8 points per game.
• Molly Coleman put up 10 points and was just short of a double-double with a career-high eight rebounds.
• Denijsha Wilson also scored in double-digits with 14 points, shooting 5-for-6 from the field.
• Dakota McCaughan tied her career-high of five assists in the game.
• High Point's Skyler Curran, the Big South Preseason Player of the Year, got into early foul trouble and the Spartans were able to hold her to just six points and two rebounds in the game.

UP next for the Spartans
Upstate returns to the Hodge court tomorrow, Dec. 31 to close out the year with game two of the back-to-back series against High Point. Tip-off is at 2 p.m.

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