SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Looking to avenge an earlier season loss at the hands of the Buccaneers and defend its home floor, USC Upstate men's basketball took control from the opening tip, trailing for just 18 seconds Wednesday as the Spartans locked down a high-powered Charleston Southern offense en route to a convincing 77-60 victory.
 
Seeing Charleston Southern take a one-point lead early in the game with a three to answer the opening jumper from the Spartans, Upstate wasted little time in regaining the lead with a 7-0 run, taking a lead it would never relinquish and limiting the Buccaneer lead to 18 seconds. The Spartans' defense stifled a Charleston Southern attack that averages 74.7 points per game, holding their opponent to 36.7 percent shooting (22-of-60).
 
With 12 Spartans hitting the floor, 11 found themselves in the scoring column with 10 pulling in at least one rebound. Sophomore guard Jordan Gainey led Upstate with his third straight 20-plus point scoring effort against Charleston Southern with freshman guard Justin Bailey and redshirt sophomore guard Trae Broadnax adding 15 and 11 points, respectively.
 
Game Information
Score: USC Upstate 77; Charleston Southern 60
Records: USC Upstate (11-13; 6-7 Big South); Charleston Southern (8-16; 4-9 Big South)
Location: G.B. Hodge Center | Spartanburg, S.C.
 
How It Happened
First Half

• With Upstate scoring with a Jordan Gainey jumper off the opening tip, Charleston Southern hit a three on its opening possession to take a slim one-point margin—its lone lead of the game. The Spartans answered immediately with a 7-0 scoring run into the game's first media timeout to take a lead it wouldn't give back.
• The Buccaneers exited the game's first stoppage and fought their way back, using a 7-2 scoring stretch to cut the lead to one with 14:07 to play in the half. The margin was the closest Charleston Southern would get to retake the lead for the remainder of the game.
• With a slim lead with 13 minutes to play in the half, the Spartans crafted their longest scoring run of the evening, going on a 13-0 stretch led by six points from Gainey. Upstate pushed the lead past the 10-point threshold with 8:55 to play in the first half with the lead not falling back to single digits for the remainder of the game.
• As the 13-0 scoring run was snapped, Upstate responded quickly to continue building its advantage following a Charleston Southern layup with seven straight points. Following the 20-2 scoring stretch, the Spartans' lead sat at 20 for the first time in the game as the lead didn't fall below 17 points for the rest of the half.

 
Second Half

• Out of the locker room, Charleston Southern scored the first basket of the second half, but Upstate responded with an 8-2 scoring stretch, holding the Buccaneers without a field goal for just over two minutes of action.
• Following its two-minute stretch without a made field goal, the Buccaneers cut into the Spartans' lead—cutting it down to 12—with a stretch making five of six field goals. Charleston Southern outscored Upstate 13-3 in the run seeing the lead whittled down to its smallest of the half.
• After the lead was cut to 12, Upstate sought to double its advantage with its second double-digit scoring run of the game, going on a 12-0 stretch. Gainey carried the stretch, bookending it with a pair of triples, scoring 10 of the 12 points.
• Over the final 10 minutes of the game, the Spartans would push their advantage to as many as 26 points on three occasions. Charleston Southern cut the lead down to 17 at the final buzzer, hitting four threes over the game's final four minutes.

 
Notable

• With his seventh career 20-point game, Jordan Gainey secured his third career 20-plus point scoring effort against Charleston Southern—coming in career games against the Buccaneers. The 20-plus point scoring games have come in three consecutive games against the Buccaneers, including last season's Big South Tournament game and both meetings this season.
• With 15 points Wednesday, Justin Bailey notched his fifth career game scoring 15 or more points with his game against Charleston Southern giving him four such efforts in league play. The game also marked his second 15-plus point game against the Buccaneers.
• Rounding out the double-figure scoring trio, Trae Broadnax contributed 11 points, but he also added eight rebounds and six assists on the night. The game marked his third career game with eight or more rebounds and six or more assists.
• With a three from Broadnax in the first half, Upstate extended its streak of games with a made three-pointer to 864 games, dating back to the 1994-95 season. The streak includes each of the Spartans' 497 games at the NCAA Division I level (2007-pres.).

 
Up Next for the Spartans
Coming off a two-game homestand, the Spartans return to the road with a jaunt to Rock Hill for a second meeting with Winthrop. The Spartans and Eagles are slated for a 5 p.m. ET tip-off.
 
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