COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Closing its portion of the Collegiate Hoops Roadshow with a trip to Air Force, USC Upstate men's basketball wrapped the multi-team event with a split as the Spartans fell Monday night by a score of 83-56.
 
Leading the way for Upstate against the Falcons, sophomore guard Jordan Gainey poured in a team-high 19 points as secured his second 15-plus point scoring game of the season. He finished the evening shooting 47.0 percent (8-of-17) from the field in the game, doing much of his scoring from inside the three-point line with layups and pull-up jumpers.
 
He was joined in double-figures by redshirt sophomore guard Trae Broadnax, who tallied a double-digit scoring total for the third straight game while he tied for the team lead with four rebounds. Nearly securing double-figures was freshman guard Justin Bailey who totaled nine points and led the Spartans with two makes from three-point range.
 
Game Information
Score: Air Force 83; USC Upstate 56
Records: USC Upstate (2-3); Air Force (2-3)
Location: Clune Arena | Colorado Springs, Colo.
 
How It Happened
First Half

• Despite seeing Air Force open the game on a 5-0 scoring run, Upstate's Trae Broadnax kept things close for the Spartans as he scored the first five points for the Spartans. He hit a three to halt the Falcons' 5-0 run before answering an Air Force dunk with a jumper in the lane.
• While Broadnax pulled Upstate within two with his jumper, Air Force pushed its advantage to double-digits with a 9-1 scoring run spanning either side of the under-16 media timeout. The run was broken up by a technical foul assessed to the Falcons' Camden Vander Zwaag.
• After seeing Air Force's scoring stretch grow to 12-2 behind 10 straight Falcon points for Vander Zwaag, the Spartans cut into the deficit with its longest scoring run of the game, a 7-0 run. Jordan Gainey started the run with a three ball before closing it with a layup as Floyd Rideau Jr. added a paint jumper in between Gainey's buckets.
• Following Upstate's 7-0 scoring run, Air Force closed the half by outscoring the Spartans 26 to 12 using four scoring runs of four points or greater to open its advantage. The first of the scoring runs for the Falcons marked their longest of the game, a 9-0 run coming as an answer to the Spartans 7-0 stretch.

 
Second Half

• Out of the locker room, Upstate scored the first four points of the second half to cut into the Air Force lead as Gainey and Broadnax hit a pair of layups. The layups cut the Falcon advantage to 15 points, the lowest the deficit would hit in the second half.
• Answering the Spartans quick flurry out of the half, Air Force grew its lead with a 6-0 scoring run into the first media stoppage of the half. Snapping the scoring run, Gainey embarked on a personal 5-0 scoring run as he hit a jumper and finished a three-point play.
• Off Gainey's scoring stretch, the Falcons pushed their lead back to 20-plus points by outscoring the Spartans 12 to 5 heading into the under-12 media timeout. Into the media stoppage and including the first basket out of the timeout, Air Force crafted a 7-0 scoring run to stretch the lead to 23 points.
• Closing out the game, Air Force outscored Upstate 20-12 over the final eight and a half minutes of the game, pushing the final scoring margin to 27 points. Of the Spartans' final 12 points, half were score by Seny N'Diaye who knocked down a pair of field goals and a pair of free throws.

 
Notable

• Leading to its halftime deficit, Upstate was outrebounded 23 to eight in the first half with Air Force outpacing the Spartans on the offensive glass eight to one. The Spartans closed the margin in the second half with the Falcons outrebounding Upstate 21 to 14 in the half to outrebound the Spartans 44 to 22 in the game.
• Leading the way for Upstate with 19 points, Jordan Gainey secured his 19^th career game scoring 15 or more points. Monday's game joins his 24-point effort at Clemson as his 15-plus point scoring efforts this season with his two 15-plus point games leading the Spartans this season.
• With 11 points versus Air Force, Trae Broadnax has scored in double-figures for the third straight game as he also tied for the team lead with four rebounds. Scoring 10-plus points in three straight games, he ties Justin Bailey for the most consecutive double-figure scoring games this season.
• Drawing a charge in Monday's first half, Jordyn Surratt extended the Spartans' streak of games drawing a charge during the 2022-23 season to five games. The drawn charge was Surratt's team-leading third as he's drawn a charge in two straight games.

 
UP Next for the Spartans
Following the close of the Collegiate Hoops Roadshow, the Spartans return home for the Thanksgiving holiday before heading back on the road on Black Friday with a short trip to Columbia, S.C. Upstate matches up with South Carolina Friday at 4 p.m. ET.
 
JOIN UP
Make a difference in the lives of USC Upstate student-athletes!  Donate to the USC Upstate U Club today!

HOTTEST TICKET IN TOWN
USC Upstate men's basketball has sold out two of its last four home games dating back to the 2021-22 season, including this season's home opener on November 7. USC Upstate is offering a variety of ways for fans to watch Upstate Basketball this season! Tickets can be purchased through ticketreturn.com and options include courtside seats, season packages, two new mini-plan offerings, group packages, and individual game tickets. Click here to order your tickets.
 
Keep UP with the Spartans
Facebook.com/UpstateAthletics
Twitter: @UpstateMBB
Instagram: @upstatespartans
YouTube.com/UpstateSpartans