Tuesday's MatchUP
December 14, 2021 | 7:00 p.m. ET
USC Upstate (2-7; 0-0 Big South) at No. 18 Tennessee (7-2; 0-0 SEC)
Thompson-Boling Arena | Knoxville, Tenn.
 
TV: SEC Network+ | Via WatchESPN.com or the ESPN App
 
Series History
Heading into Tuesday's meeting, USC Upstate and Tennessee have had two prior meetings in the Spartans' Division I era (2007-pres.), meeting during the 2013-14 and 2020-21 seasons with the Volunteers taking both meetings. Last season, Tommy Bruner and Everette Hammond scored in double-figures with 18 and 13 points, respectively, while the Spartans shot 50 percent from three.
 
Last Time Out
December 11, 2021: (RV) Wake Forest 79; USC Upstate 53
December 11, 2021: No. 13 Tennessee 76; UNC Greensboro 36
 
Players to Watch
Upstate: Tying for the team lead with 10 points at Wake Forest Saturday, freshman guard Jordan Gainey secured the sixth double-figure scoring game of his Upstate career as he's averaging 10.1 points per game through nine games this season. His 10 points against the Demon Deacons comes after scoring a career-high 15 points versus Western Carolina to give Gainey two consecutive double-figure scoring games. The recipient of two Big South Freshman of the Week honors this season, he is the son of first-year Tennessee assistant Justin Gainey.
 
Tennessee: Scoring nine points in each of his previous two games, guard Kennedy Chandler enters Tuesday's game as Tennessee's leading scorer, averaging 14.6 points per contest. Through nine games, he's notched double-figures in six games with each of these six games seeing him score 14 or more points. Despite not reaching double-figures in each of the last two games, Chandler has dished out a team-high 11 assists, leading Tennessee in the category this season.
 
UP Next for the Spartans
After a pair of road games against Power-5 opponents, USC Upstate returns to the G.B. Hodge Center Saturday against Brevard College. Tip-off from the Hodge is set for 4 p.m. ET and is part of an Ingles/Nexstar Big South doubleheader with the game airing locally on WYCW and WMYT.
 
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