Bryson Mozone North Carolina Central 2021-22
Matt Levonick
67
Winner N.C. Central NCCU 3-5,0-0 MEAC
65
USC Upstate USCU 2-5,0-0 Big South
Winner
N.C. Central NCCU
3-5,0-0 MEAC
67
Final
65
USC Upstate USCU
2-5,0-0 Big South
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
N.C. Central NCCU 30 37 67
USC Upstate USCU 33 32 65

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Bryson Mozone and Josh Aldrich Score in Double-Figures as Men's Basketball and North Carolina Central Play Down to the Wire Wednesday Night

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – In a game marred by fouls with 45 total fouls called, USC Upstate men's basketball and North Carolina Central traded the lead four times over the game's final four minutes as the Spartans and Eagles played to the wire Wednesday night at the G.B. Hodge Center.
 
Leading Upstate against North Carolina Central, senior forwards Bryson Mozone and Josh Aldrich scored in double-figures, scoring 12 and 11 points, respectively. Mozone posted his sixth double-figure scoring game of the season as Aldrich finished a point shy of tying his career-high in a tight 67-65 loss.
 
Game Information
Score: North Carolina Central 67; USC Upstate 65
Records: USC Upstate (2-5; 0-0 Big South); North Carolina Central (3-5; 0-0 MEAC)
Location: G.B. Hodge Center | Spartanburg, S.C.
 
How It Happened
First Half
  • After seeing North Carolina Central open the scoring with an early three-pointer, Upstate used a 9-0 run to regain the lead it wouldn't relinquish until late in the second half with Mysta Goodloe knifing his way to the hole twice in the stretch, leading Upstate with four points.
  • Using a 9-2 run between the under-12 and under-8 media timeouts, North Carolina Central evened the score twice, seeing the final tie of the first half at 18 all at the 7:34 mark of the half.
  • After trading jabs back-and-forth with one another to keep the Upstate advantage hovering at a possession, Upstate took a big swing, fabricating its second-longest scoring run of the half by reeling off seven consecutive points. Following a pair of Eagle free throws—the final coming with 2:32 remaining in the half—Khydarius Smith rocked the Hodge with an aggressive two-handed slam to give the Spartans a nine-point advantage—their largest of the game.
 
Second Half
  • After closing the first half on a 6-0 scoring run to pull within three at halftime, North Carolina Central extended its run to 10-1 to open the second half to tie the game at 34 with 17:52 remaining.
  • Answering following the tie, Upstate used a 5-0 run to recapture its lead with Bryson Mozone hitting the final shot in the stretch with a wing three to reach double-figures.
  • Seeing Upstate extend its second-half advantage with 10 minutes remaining in the game, North Carolina Central used an 8-2 run to pull the Spartan lead to a single possession. Pushing its advantage back out to six points behind a Mozone turn-around jumper and Josh Aldrich's and-one conversion to lead 58-52 with 6:20 remaining.
  • Looking to take its first lead since the 18:55 mark of the first half, North Carolina Central used a 9-2 run to take its first second-half lead with 3:24 remaining as Nicolas Fennell's layup gave the Eagles a 61-60 lead.
  • Putting the Spartans back in front with two minutes remaining, Josh Aldrich joined Mozone in double-figures with a dunk as he slipped the North Carolina Central defense off a perfect feed from Mysta Goodloe.
  • After seeing the lead change hands three times over the final two minutes of the game, North Carolina Central captured the final lead in the final seconds with Eric Boone finishing at the rim to put the Eagles up 67-65. Leaving a few seconds for Upstate to attempt to send the game to overtime, North Carolina Central forced a turnover to ice the game.
 
Notable
  • Dropping 12 points against North Carolina Central Wednesday night, Bryson Mozone posted his second consecutive double-figure scoring game as he's notched double-digit scoring outputs in six of Upstate's seven games this season.
  • Posting 11 points Wednesday night, Josh Aldrich notched his second double-figure scoring game of the season. The game also marks the sixth double-figure scoring game of his career as he finished a point shy of his career-high of 12 points.
  • Leading Upstate with seven rebounds against North Carolina Central, Jordan Gainey tied a career-high with his seven boards, posting his third game this season with seven rebounds.
 
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