KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Scoring in double-figures for the third time in a Spartan uniform, junior guard Nick Alves led USC Upstate men's basketball in scoring for the second consecutive game as Upstate battled No. 18 Tennessee Tuesday evening.
 
Alves finished the night shooting 60 percent (6-of-10) from the floor, finishing a made field goal shy of tying his career-high in the category. He also knocked down one of his two attempts from long range and has hit a three in back-to-back games after only attempting four three-pointers over the first eight games of the season.
 
Behind Alves, a pair of Spartans, senior forward Bryson Mozone and junior guard Mysta Goodloe finished with seven points apiece. Mozone chipped in six rebounds as he led Upstate on the boards while both of Goodloe's field goal makes came from beyond the arc, leading the Spartans in three-point shooting Tuesday.
 
Game Information
Score: No. 18 Tennessee 96; USC Upstate 52
Records: USC Upstate (2-8; 0-0 Big South); No. 18 Tennessee (8-2; 0-0 SEC)
Location: Thompson-Boling Arena | Knoxville, Tenn.
 
How It Happened
First Half

• Controlling the opening tip, Tennessee began the game on a 13-0 run to take an early lead, forcing an Upstate timeout ahead of the under-16 media timeout.
• Out of the timeout, the Spartans answered Tennessee's run with a quick 5-0 spurt as Bryson Mozone drilled a deep triple before Jordan Gainey used a pump fake to set up a baseline jumper.
• After seeing a 5-0 scoring run from the Volunteers halted by a pair of free throw makes from Nick Alves, Tennessee looked to retake momentum behind a made jumper and dunk on successive possessions. Unfortunately for Tennessee, Mysta Goodloe stymied the Volunteers claims for momentum, hitting both of his three-point makes in consecutive possessions to keep Upstate's deficit in the single digits.
• Answering Goodloe's triples, the Volunteers embarked on an 8-0 run, pushing it to a 12-2 run overall—with a Jatayveous Watson layup stopping the 8-0 push—before a Goodloe free throw and an Ahmir Langlais layup ended the run.
• Looking to expand the lead over the final four minutes of the half, Tennessee jumped out to a 14-0 scoring advantage ahead of the final minute of the period before Upstate scored the final four points of the half.

Second Half

• Opening the second half, the Volunteers created a 9-2 scoring advantage over the first five minutes of the half.
• Ending Tennessee's scoring run, Upstate crafted its longest scoring streak of the second half, scoring six consecutive points. Dalvin White opened the streak with a triple before Quentin Hodge drove the baseline, making the layup against contact, drawing the foul, and converting the and-one opportunity.
• Keeping pace with Tennessee over a four-minute stretch during the middle of the quarter, Alves scored nine of Upstate's 11 points in the stretch, finishing the string with a nice up-and-under move on a Volunteer big for a left-handed layup.
• Over the final four-plus minutes of the game, Tennessee created a pair of 7-0 scoring runs to increase its lead ahead of the final buzzer before Alves finished the game's scoring with a jumper for his 14^th and 15^th points of the night.

 
Notable

• Finishing with a team-high 15 points Tuesday night, Nick Alves secured his second consecutive double-figure scoring game and the third of his Upstate career. Leading the Spartans in scoring at Tennessee, Tuesday's game marked the second straight to see Alves lead his team in scoring.
• Knocking down one of his two three-point attempts, Alves has connected from beyond the arc in back-to-back games. This coming after attempting just four threes over the first eight games of the season.
• Hitting two of his three attempts from long range Tuesday night, Mysta Goodloe led Upstate in three-point field goals made. The game marks the second of his career to feature multiple makes from distance, equaling his two threes made against Georgia Southern on December 5, 2020.
• Collecting Upstate's lone blocked shot at Tennessee, Josh Aldrich has tallied a block in five consecutive games for the Spartans, leading the team with 11 rejections this season.

 
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