BUIES CREEK, N.C. – With 8 seconds to go in the game Campbell's Jordan Whitfield made the game winning basket as USC Upstate fell 72-71 inside the Gore Center on Thursday evening.  
 
USC Upstate (4-14, 4-8 BSC) lost the opening tip, but Everette Hammond (Silver Springs, Md.) scored the first points of the game for either side. The hot start continued as the Spartans offense opened the game on an 8-0 run, moments later Dalvin White (Norcross, Ga.) and Nevin Zink (Newtown, Conn.) both got in the scoring column and the Spartans led 12-8 early. USC Upstate opened the game a perfect 4-4 from the field.
 
Coming out of the timeout break Zink scored a layup and moments later Khydarius Smith (Fort Mill, S.C.) threw down a thunderous slam as the Spartans led 16-8 with 14:22 to play in the opening period. After several minutes of inactivity by both offenses the two teams began to heat up from the field.
 
Messiah Thompson drilled back-to-back three's for Campbell (11-9, 7-6 BSC) at the 8:32 to mark to give the Camels their first lead of the game at 22-21. Over the next minute and a half of game time, the lead changed five different times between the two squads.
 
With 5:08 to play in the half Zink tied the game at 30 and a few minutes later Bryson Mozone (North Augusta, S.C.) hit a corner three-pointer and the Spartans led by three-points. Tied at 37 with 2:04 to play in the half, Tommy Bruner (Columbia, S.C.) made three-pointer and gave USC Upstate a 40-37 halftime lead.
 
At the halftime break, Smith led the team with 9-points and was second on the team with 3-rebounds. Both Hammond and Bruner each recorded 8-points in the half, while Zink and White each contributed 6-points in the period. As a team, the Spartans shot 66 percent from the field and 55 percent from beyond the arch in the opening half of action.
 
Coming out of the halftime intermission, Campbell went on a 5-2 run to tie the game at 42. At the 14:48 mark of the period, Zink made a layup that jump started an 8-0 run by the Spartans offense. The quick offensive spurt forced Campbell to use their first timeout of the half. The timeout worked as the Camels cut into the Spartans lead.
 
For the next 10 minutes of game action, the two squads traded baskets and kept the game close. With 4:28 to play in the game, Josh Aldrich (Wilmington, N.C.) made a put back layup to give the Spartans a 71-66 advantage.
 
After three minutes of game time with not a single basket scored by either team, Cedric Henderson converted a pair of free throws to end the scoring drought. Moments later, Henderson sank a pair of free throws once again and the Camels trailed 71-70. With just 8 seconds to go in the game Whitfield scored on an acrobatic mid-range jump shot. A last second shot attempt by Bruner fell short as Campbell ended the game on a 6-0 run and held USC Upstate scoreless for the final 4:28 of the game.
 
Four Spartans ended the game with double figures, Hammond (20-points), Zink (13-points), Smith had a career high 11-points and Bruner had 10-points. White packed the stats sheet on Thursday night with a 7-point, 6-rebound and 5-assist effort in the loss.
 
A trio of Camels ended the game in double-figures, Thompson led the team with 19-points, Henderson added 16-points and Whitfield contributed 14-points in the win.
 
UP next for the Spartans
The Spartans will play Campbell again tomorrow night at the Gore Center, tip-off is once again slated for 7:00 p.m.

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