SPARTANBURG, S.C. – USC Upstate women's basketball dropped game one of the back-to-back series against the Radford Highlanders 44-41 Friday night at the Hodge. Molly Coleman recorded her fourth double-double of the season, but the offense struggled overall in the game.
"I thought we played well defensively. I feel like anytime you hold a team to 44 points, you give yourself a good chance to win," said head coach Becky Burke. "Same story, different day. We are a team that cannot score the basketball. We've really got to get creative for ways we can put the ball in the hole. We didn't score enough today, didn't make free throws, and didn't make a single three. The problem was not on defense. We have to go back to the drawing board offensively."
After the Highlanders took the opening tip, Molly Coleman shut down Radford's opening possession with a block, and Denijsha Wilson got Upstate on the board first shortly after. Back-to-back layups and a free throw from Coleman put the Spartans up 7-2 with 5:32 to go in the opening frame, and Upstate led 13-7 at the end of the first.
Jada Logan's pull up jumper from Anda Kuzmina got the Spartans going in the second quarter and Coleman pushed their lead to 17-9 at 7:34. Both teams then went cold on the floor from 6:56 to 2:44 when the Highlanders hit a triple to cut their deficit to 17-14. Radford ended the second period on an 11-2 run including a last-second three to take their first lead of the game, 20-19, going into halftime.
Upstate was getting outscored 10-3 in the third period going into the media timeout, but the Spartans were able to close the quarter on a 7-0 run capped by Brooks-Sumpter's and-1 in the last three seconds. Upstate trailed 33-31 heading into the final frame.
Radford pushed its lead to 38-31 to open the fourth, but Upstate answered with a 6-0 run to come back within one point of the Highlanders at 38-37 with 7:05 to go. Radford and Upstate exchanged baskets the rest of the period, but the Highlanders never let go of their lead.
Notes
- Molly Coleman notched her fourth double-double this month with 10 points off a mere 4-of-4 shooting from the field along with a tied team-high 10 rebounds. She also tied a career-high three blocks.
- Anda Kuzmina pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds and had three assists on the night.
- McKinley Brooks-Sumpter posted a team-high 11 points.
- The Spartans did not make a single 3-pointer for the first time this season.
UP next for the Spartans
Upstate will look to take a series split with Radford on Saturday. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. from the Hodge.
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