HIGH POINT, N.C. – USC Upstate can end the 2020 calendar year on a high note as the Spartans end a 10-game losing streak dating back to last season with a 60-51 victory over High Point on Thursday night inside the Milis Center.  
 
USC Upstate (1-9, 1-3 BSC) held High Point (3-6, 1-3 BSC) to just 32 percent shooting in the second half as the Spartans scored 15 of their 37 second half points from the free throw line. Bryson Mozone (North Augusta, S.C.) recorded his second career double-double and tied his career high with 14-rebounds. Everette Hammond (Silver Springs, Md.) led all-scorers with 18-points and Tommy Bruner (Columbia, S.C.) contributed 12-points in the Spartan victory.
 
The USC Upstate defense forced a stop on their first possession, Bruner found Mozone for a three-pointer and the Spartans scored the first basket of the game. A few moments later Mozone connected on his second three of the game off an assist from Hammond and Upstate held a 6-0 advantage with 17:51 to play in the half.
 
At the 16:43 mark of the first period Bryson Childress scored the first bucket of the night for High Point and cut the Spartans lead in half at 6-3. Coming out of the media timeout Jaden House hit a three-pointer and the Panthers tied the game at 6-6.
 
Moments later Childress hit another three-pointer and gave High Point their first lead of the game at 9-6 with 14:46 to play in the opening period of play. The three-pointer jump started the Panthers offense as the raced out to a 16-8 run over the next three-minutes of action. The Spartans countered with a three-pointer by Josh Aldrich (Wilmington, N.C.) and a mid-range jumper by Bruner.
 
After a two-minute scoreless drought between the two squads High Point went on a run and took a 28-17 lead with 2:47 remaining in opening period. Hammond and Bruner combined to make the final three baskets of the half, but High Point held a 28-23 going into the halftime break.
 
Following the halftime, the break the Spartans came out with the hot hand and went on a 9-3 run, with the exclamation point coming from a Nevin Zink (Newtown, Conn.) slam. The run tied the game at 31 with 17:01 to play in the game.
 
Cartier Jernigan (Charlotte, N.C.) and Hammond made back-to-back buckets to give the Spartans a 35-31 advantage. Lydell Elmore made the Not-Top 10 with a missed dunk, but followed it up with a layup on the next possession to end the Panthers drought.
 
The two sides continued to trade baskets over the next few moments. Childress drove to the basket with 7:32 to play to give the Panthers the lead back, however, the lead did not last long as High Point was called for goaltending on the other end on a Dalvin White (Norcross, Ga.) jumper.
 
After several lead changes between the two squads Childress gave High Point a 47-44 with 4:31 to play in the contest. USC Upstate then closed out the game on a 16-4 to cement their first victory of the 2020-21 campaign.
Hammond finished with a game high 18-points and 6-rebounds, Bruner finished with 12-points and a team high 4 assists. Mozone tied his career high in rebounds with 14 and he added 11-points to the stat sheet.
 
UP next for the Spartans
The Spartans return to the G.B. Hodge Center on Monday, January 4^th and Tuesday, January 5^th, to face Longwood with both contests set to tip at 6:00 p.m. 
 
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