COLUMBIA, S.C. – Hitting the court for the first time in the 2021-22 season, USC Upstate men's basketball had three players score in double-figures, including a pair of true freshmen, in the team's season opener Tuesday night at South Carolina.
 
Senior guard Bryson Mozone led the Spartans on the offensive end, collecting his fourth career 20-point game with 20 points behind a 7-for-16 effort from the floor, including a game-high four three-point makes. He added in six rebounds and a career-high four assists on the night.
 
Joining Mozone in double-figures were freshmen guards Jalen Breazeale and Jordan Gainey who dropped 17 and 11 points, respectively in their collegiate debuts. Gainey chipped in a team-high seven boards on the evening while Breazeale added four rebounds and a pair of steals in the game.
 
Off the bench, junior guard Mysta Goodloe dished out a career-high three assists while junior forward Jatayveous Watson swiped a career-best three steals.
 
Game Information
Score: South Carolina 78; USC Upstate 60
Records: USC Upstate (0-1; 0-0 Big South); South Carolina (1-0; 0-0 SEC)
Location: Colonial Life Arena | Columbia, S.C.
 
How It Happened

• Trailing 4-1, USC Upstate took advantage of a Jermaine Couisnard turnover as Jordan Gainey went down and nailed a jumper to cut the host lead to one. Sparking the defense with a block and a board on the defensive end, Bryson Mozone drained his first of four first-half treys to give the Spartans their first lead.
• Following an Erik Stevenson basket that trimmed Upstate's lead to one, Gainey sparked another Spartan run as he took a pass from Mysta Goodloe, knifing to the basket for a layup. The Spartans' run continued as a Goodloe steal turned into another Mozone three before a Mozone rebound morphed into a transition three from Gainey to push to an 8-0 run.
• Turnovers and offensive rebounding helped South Carolina regain the lead after trailing 17-8 following Upstate's 8-0 run. The Gamecocks used a 10-0 run of their own to regain the lead at 18-17.
• Over the final six-plus minutes of the first half, Jalen Breazeale took over for the Spartans as the freshman scored all 10 of his first-half points—scoring 10 of the Spartans' final 13 points in the half—nailing a layup, jumper, and floater while going 4-4 from the free-throw line.
• After seeing South Carolina grow its lead to 14 coming out of the locker room at the half, Upstate went on an 8-2 run that spanned nearly three-plus minutes that was kickstarted by a Jatayveous Watson block that led to a runout for Gainey on the other end. Breazeale and Goodloe capped the end of the run with back-to-back baskets to pull the Spartans within eight.
• Looking to answer after the Gamecocks grew their lead to 15 points behind a 6-0 run, Upstate put together a 7-2 run to trim the lead to 10 behind a three and jumper from Breazeale and a fastbreak layup from Mozone. After Wildens Leveque split a pair of free throw for South Carolina, Dalvin White answered with a three to trim the lead to eight.

Notable

• Scoring 20 points Tuesday night, Bryson Mozone notched his fourth career 20-plus point scoring game, having collected one such game in each of his seasons in a Spartans' uniform.
• In their USC Upstate and collegiate debuts, Jalen Breazeale and Jordan Gainey each posted double-digit scoring games, tallying 17 and 11 points, respectively. Gainey added a team-high seven boards in the game while Breazeale finished the game shooting 6-of-8 from the floor.
• Coming off the bench, Mysta Goodloe and Jatayveous Watson each recorded a career-high with Goodloe's three assists and Watson's three steals each marking career highs.
• In Tuesday's game, five Spartans made their USC Upstate debuts as Breazeale, Gainey, Nick Alves, Floyd Rideau Jr., and Ahmir Langlais each made their first appearance in a Spartan uniform.

 
UP Next for the Spartans
Following Tuesday's game, Upstate returns to action Friday as the Spartans travel to Charlotte, N.C. for a 7:00 p.m. ET meeting with the Charlotte 49ers.
 
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