Justin Bailey's 13 Second-Half Points Lead All Spartan Scorers for Men's Basketball in a Setback at No. 7/8 Duke

Friday, November 11

Durham, N.C.

6:30 p.m.

University of South Carolina Upstate Athletics

1-1,0-0Big South

Duke

2-0,0-0ACC

USC Upstate

Duke

Photo by: Bailey White

11/11/2022 10:28:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

DURHAM, N.C. – On the road in a hostile environment and up against a top-10 team for the first time since the 2020-21 season, USC Upstate men's basketball couldn't overcome the team's 23 turnovers and the length of No. 7/8 Duke in an 84-38 setback Friday night at historic Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Leading all Upstate scorers, freshman guard Justin Bailey became the third true freshman to score double-figures in each of his first two games for the Spartans during head coach Dave Dickerson's tenure (2018-pres.), joining Everette Hammond (2018-19) and Jordan Gainey (2021-22). He poured in a career-best 13 points—all coming in the second half—as he also paced Upstate on the glass, corralling a career-high six boards.

Defensively, Upstate rejected six Blue Devil shots in the game with junior forward Seny N'Diaye leading Upstate with a career-best five blocks, becoming the first Spartan with five or more blocks in a game since Ramel Thompkins in 2017-18. Upstate's six blocks are the most by a Duke opponent since January 2022 when Georgia Tech registered seven blocks.

Game Information
Score: No. 7/8 Duke 84; USC Upstate 38
Records: USC Upstate (1-1); Duke (2-0)
Location: Cameron Indoor Stadium | Durham, N.C.

How It Happened
First Half

Forcing a turnover on Duke's first possession of the night, Jordan Gainey opened Upstate's scoring with a fastbreak layup that ignited a hot start for the Spartans. Upstate scored the first seven points of the game as Trae Broadnax followed Gainey's lead and picked the pocket of Jeremy Roach for a layup in transition before a Khydarius Smith three from the corner completed the scoring run.
Heading into the game's first media timeout, Duke found itself with the first three points of its 14-0 run that flipped the tide of the ballgame as three Spartan turnovers and four fastbreak buckets for Duke led to the scoring stretch.
Quieting the Blue Devils' first scoring run, Broadnax answered with a tough layup against contact as he knifed down the lane. The basket kicked off a back-and-forth stretch as the two teams traded baskets heading toward the 10-minute mark of the first half.
Over the final 10 minutes of the half, Duke showed its length and athleticism, outscoring the Spartans 24-6 behind a pair of long scoring runs of nine and 15 points. Closing out the half, Broadnax notched four of Upstate's six points, concluding the first half with a career-high eight points.

Second Half

Coming out of the locker room, the Blue Devils fabricated their longest scoring stretch of the game as they opened the half on a 16-0 run. Justin Bailey snuffed the scoring run as he rose up from the right wing to knock down his first three of the night, jumpstarting his 13-point effort in the second half.
Not allowing Duke to fashion another extended scoring stretch, Bailey remained the hot hand for the Spartans. He hit a three from in front of the Upstate bench before taking a pass from Jordyn Surratt in a wide-open lane for a smooth left-handed finish.
Snapping a 6-0 Duke scoring stretch, Bailey added to his scoring total with a coast-to-coast layup following a defensive board, giving him the first 10 points for the Spartans in the second half.
Chipping into the Blue Devil lead and preventing another long scoring streak, Floyd Rideau Jr. hit a pair of threes to get himself into the game's scoring. Wrapping the scoring for Upstate, Bailey nailed another wing three before Seny N'Diaye drew Upstate's first free throws with 4:11 to play in the game.

Notable

Following up his 12 points in the season opener, Bailey's 13 second-half points give him double-digit scoring totals for the second time in as many games to open his career. He becomes the third true freshman under head coach Dave Dickerson to accomplish the feat, joining Everette Hammond (2018-19) and Jordan Gainey (2021-22).
Jumping out to a 7-0 lead ahead of the game's first media stoppage, the Spartans fashioned the largest deficit for Duke since the Blue Devils trailed by as many as eight points against Texas Tech (March 24, 2022) in last season's NCAA Tournament.
On the defensive end, Upstate totaled six blocked shots against the Blue Devils, the most since blocking seven Longwood shots in last season's Big South Tournament with the total also marking the most blocks against Duke since last January.
Collecting five of Upstate's six blocks, Seny N'Diaye becomes the first Spartan with five or more blocked shots in a game since Ramel Thompkins stuffed five North Greenville shots on Dec. 30, 2017.

UP Next for the Spartans
Continuing a stretch of non-conference games against foes from the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Spartans remain in the Upstate with a trip to Clemson next Tuesday. The Spartans and Tigers tip-off from Littlejohn Coliseum at 7 p.m. ET on Nov. 15.

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