Thursday's matchUP
February 6, 6:00 pm

Upstate (10-13, 5-5 Big South) VS UNC Asheville (9-12, 3-7 Big South),
Asheville, N.C.

TV: ESPN+ (Online and the ESPN app)

Game Notes: USC Upstate, UNC Asheville

Series History
This is the 20th all-time meeting between USC Upstate and UNC Asheville. The Bulldogs lead the all-time series 12-7 but the Spartans broke five game losing streak to the Bulldogs less than two weeks ago. With 6:07 to play in the contest USC Upstate was holding on to a 58-57 advantage. Back-to-back three pointers by Bryson Mozone sparked an 18-3 run by the Spartans to close out the game. The win was the first for the Spartans against UNC Asheville since the 2012-2013 season.

Last time out
UPSTATE – USC Upstate trailed by 10-points going into the halftime break but scored a season high 57-points in the second half against Campbell to pick-up their third consecutive win. USC Upstate shot 65 percent from the field and freshman Tommy Bruner ended the game with a career high 30-points. It was the first time in three seasons in which the Spartans overcame a double-digit halftime deficit. USC Upstate eclipsed the 90-point threshold for the third time this season and the Spartans are 6-1 when shooting 50 percent or better from the field.

UNC Asheville – Since the loss to USC Upstate the Bulldogs of UNC Asheville have lost three consecutive games. Their most recent loss came in a lopsided 104-71 route by Winthrop on Saturday afternoon. LJ
Thorpe led the Bulldogs with 21-points, Lavar Batts Jr., contributed 19-points and DeVon Baker added
18-points in the loss.

Ones to watch
UPSTATE – Tommy Bruner averaged 29.0 points this past week including a 30-point outing against Campbell on Saturday afternoon. The Palmetto State native was lights out from the field shooting 62 percent from the floor, 67 percent from beyond the arch and 67 percent from the free throw line. Bruner joins Phlandrous Fleming of Charleston Southern as the only other Big South Player to earn the honor by the College Sports Madness publication. Everette Hammond is still the Spartans leading scorer and Bryson Mozone has contributed significant points and minutes off the bench this season.

UNC Asheville – Baker leads the team this season with an average of 15.8 points per game, Tajion
Jones is right behind with 14.7 points per contest. Thrope is averaging 13.9 points per game and a team
best 131 rebounds this season. Batts Jr., rounds out the double-digit scorers with 13.0 points per game
and he leads the team in both assists (46) and steals (39).


UP next for the Spartans 
The Spartans next home game will be against Gardner-Webb on Saturday, February 8, 2020. Tip-off is slated for 4:30 p.m. inside the G.B. Hodge Center.

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