CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Facing overtime for the first time since the 2019-20 season, USC Upstate women's basketball didn't let unfamiliar territory deter it as the Spartans snapped a five-game overtime losing streak with a huge 58-51 road victory Wednesday night at Western Carolina.
 
Leading the Spartans in scoring for the second consecutive game, junior guard Chellia Watson followed up her career-high 30 point outing versus Mars Hill with a game-high-tying 17 points against the Catamounts in the overtime victory. Freshman guard Rachael Rose joined Watson with a game-high 17 points as Rose found herself back in double-figures with her third career double-figure scoring game Wednesday night.
 
Senior forward Molly Coleman's 11 points versus Western Carolina gave Upstate a trio of double-figure scorers for the second consecutive game as she pushed her streak of 10-plus point games to eight. She's notched double-figures in each of her team's six games this year, scoring seven of her 11 points from the free-throw line as she drew nine fouls Wednesday night.
 
Game Information
Score: USC Upstate 58; Western Carolina 51 (OT)
Records: USC Upstate (4-2; 0-0 Big South); Western Carolina (4-4; 0-0 SoCon)
Location: Ramsey Center | Cullowhee, N.C.
 
How It Happened
First Quarter

• Following an early basket from Western Carolina to take the first lead of the game, Rachael Rose drove to the hole, converting a layup and earning an and-one opportunity to draw the game even. Stepping to the free-throw line, Rose converted the attempt to give Upstate its first advantage of the game.
• Trailing 6-5 out of the first media timeout, Molly Coleman knocked down her first two free throw attempts of the game to give the Spartans the lead.
• Converting an and-one opportunity of her own, Denijsha Wilson gave Upstate its final advantage of the first quarter behind her fifth points of the period.

Second Quarter

• Out of the quarter break, Upstate scored the first three points of the second quarter to take its largest lead of the first half behind a Coleman free throw and a Chellia Watson's first points of the game.
• Answering the short Spartan run, Western Carolina opened up its largest first-half lead behind its longest run of the game, stringing together nine straight points.
• Over the final minute of the half, Rose locked down on both ends of the floor, converting layups on each of the Spartans' final two possessions of the half. The layup makes sandwiched a drawn charge to earn the ball back for Upstate.

Third Quarter

• Staking out its largest lead of the game, Western Carolina opened the second half on a 9-2 run over the half's first four minutes to run the Catamount advantage to nine.
• Providing an immediate answer to Western Carolina's 9-2 run, Upstate scored eight straight points over a two-minute stretch to pull within one at 28-27.
• Over the final two minutes of the quarter, Rose outscored Western Carolina 5-4 to draw the game to a 32-all tie at the conclusion of the quarter as she scored nine points in the period.

Fourth Quarter

• Scoring eight points in the fourth quarter, Watson off assists from Rose drained threes on back-to-back possessions to help Upstate regain the lead into the fourth quarter.
• With neither team scoring more than three straight points throughout the fourth quarter, both teams kept the game within a possession heading into regulation's final seconds.
• Drawing a foul with four seconds remaining in regulation, Jada Logan knocked down a free throw to tie the game at 47 apiece and send the game to overtime.

Overtime

• Heading to overtime for the first time since February 1, 2020, Upstate controlled the overtime period, outscoring Western Carolina 11-4 in the period.
• After Western Carolina made a pair of free throws to open the period, the Spartans rattled off its longest run of the game—10 points—to wrangle the road victory.

 
Notable

• With its 58-51 overtime victory Wednesday night, USC Upstate snapped a five-game overtime losing streak, capturing the program's first overtime win since December 12, 2016, at South Carolina State.
• Scoring 11 points, including seven from the free-throw line, Molly Coleman has scored in double-figures in all six games this season and in eight straight games for the Spartans.
• Dropping a game-high-tying 17 points, Chellia Watson has led Upstate in scoring in each of the past two games, becoming the first Spartan to lead the team in scoring in back-to-back games this season.
• Forcing 20 turnovers Wednesday night, the Spartans have forced 17 or more turnovers in all six games this season with four games featuring 20-plus turnovers forced.

 
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