SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Following a break for the Holidays, USC Upstate men's basketball returns to action Saturday afternoon, returning to the G.B. Hodge Center for the team's final game of 2023 as it hosts Coker. The Spartans' meeting with the Cobras marks the second meeting between the two squads in the team's Division I era (2007-pres.) and is the team's final non-conference game.
 
Saturday's Matchup presented by Pepsi
December 30, 2023 | 4:00 p.m. ET
USC Upstate (4-8; 0-0 Big South) vs. Coker (6-5; 2-2 SAC)
G.B. Hodge Center | Spartanburg, S.C.
 
TV: ESPN+ | Via WatchESPN.com or the ESPN App
Radio: Fox Sports Spartanburg 98.3 FM/1400 AM | Also available via the Fox Sports Spartanburg or TuneIn App
Weekly Coaches Interview: Catch head coach Dave Dickerson weekly on Fox Sports Spartanburg every Tuesday at 4:20 p.m. ET
 
How They Stack Up
Records: USC Upstate (4-8; 0-0 Big South); Coker (6-5; 2-2 SAC)
Series: USC Upstate leads 1-0
Last Five Meetings: Dec. 29, 2018 (UPST 89; CU 69)
 
Players to Watch
USC Upstate: Making his first start of the season, redshirt junior guard Floyd Rideau Jr. led all scorers against Davidson, notching his third double-figure scoring game of the year behind a 14-point effort. As he has in each of his double-figure scoring games this season, he scored 10 or more points following halftime with 11 of his 14 markers coming in the second half against the Wildcats as he finished the night shooting 5-of-10 from the field and 4-of-7 from three. He enters the weekend averaging 6.6 points per contest while shooting 45.2 percent from beyond the arc.
 
Coker: One of the top NCAA Division II scorers this season and the leading scorer in the South Atlantic Conference, senior guard Andre Leavell enters Saturday's game averaging 20.6 points per game. He's scored in double-figures in 10 of 11 games this season, including six games scoring 20 or more points. Leavell also excels at generating steals, ranking third in the SAC and 27^th in the NCAA, generating 25 steals.
 
Last Time Out
December 16, 2023: Lenoir-Rhyne 85; Coker 82
December 21, 2023: Davidson 62; USC Upstate 59
 
Up Next for the Spartans
With the final game of 2023 and the team's non-conference schedule complete, Upstate begins Big South Conference play in its return to the court in the New Year. The Spartans head north for the first of two Ingles I-26 Rivalry Series meetings with UNC Asheville with a 7 p.m. ET tip-off on Jan. 3.
 
Support the Spartans
USC Upstate returns to the G.B. Hodge Center on Saturday, December 30 to take on Coker at 4 p.m. ET. Tickets for all USC Upstate men's and women's basketball games are on sale now with tickets beginning at just $8! To order log into upstatespartans.com/tickets.
 
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