SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Back inside the friendly confines of the G.B. Hodge Center following a four-game stretch away from home, USC Upstate men's basketball crossed the 90-point threshold for the third time in 2024-25—the most in a single season since 2019-20—in a 91-60 victory Wednesday evening over Brevard. The win saw five Spartans reach double-figures with nine of the 11 Spartans to appear scoring six or more points.
In double-figures for the third time in his past four games, freshman guard
Carmelo Adkins poured in a team-best 17 points, finishing a point shy of his career-high scoring total in a career effort against the Tornados. His 17 markers fell behind a career-high-tying four three-pointers while he corralled a career-best seven rebounds, supplementing his scoring.
Freshman guard
Mister Dean ended the night on Adkin's heels, turning in 16 points as he shot 5-of-7 from the field. Rounding out the quintet of Spartans notching 10 or more markers were redshirt freshman guard
Chico Johnson, junior guard
Brit Harris, and redshirt junior guard
Andrew McConnell who tallied 11, 10, and 10 points, respectively.
Game Information
Score: USC Upstate 91; Brevard 60
Records: USC Upstate (3-8; 0-0 Big South); Brevard (4-2; 0-0 USA South)
Location: G.B. Hodge Center | Spartanburg, S.C.
How It Happened
First Half
- Taking the opening tap, USC Upstate scored on its opening possession as Karmani Gregory knocked down a corner three, 18 seconds into the contest to set up a wire-to-wire effort. The Spartans scored seven of the first nine markers, doing so behind a pair of threes, before seeing Brevard cut the lead to two with a three of its own at the 17:09 mark—the closest the lead sat in regulation.
- Building its advantage, Upstate answered the Tornado three with a 7-0 scoring run, expanding the stretch to 11-2 in favor of the hosts, growing the lead to double digits for the first time. The Spartan scoring stretch pushed to 17-4 heading into the final 10 minutes of the half as Upstate permitted on Brevard field goal while forcing seven turnovers.
- Countering the 6-0 run that tailed the 17-4 Spartan stretch, the Tornados hit consecutive field goals to trim the disadvantage to 11. However, Upstate responded with seven of the next nine points, upping the lead to 16 as the clock neared five minutes to play.
- Ticking off eight straight markers, Brevard reeled off its longest scoring run of the night as it cut the lead to single digits for the final time at the under-four media stoppage. Upstate's longest scoring run of the game followed, a 13-0 run, with the Spartans tallying 15 of the final 17 points in the half, staking a 21-point advantage at the break.
Second Half
- Ceding the first bucket of the new half to the Spartans, Brevard knocked down the next two, stringing together five straight markers. Spanning a pair of media timeouts, the Tornados outpaced Upstate 16-11, holding the Spartan lead under 20 points up to the 13:01 mark of the half.
- Spurred by three triples, two from Andrew McConnell and one from Carmelo Adkins, Upstate fashioned another double-figure scoring run, an 11-0 stretch pushing the lead to 26 at the under-12 media. The stretch expanded to 22-8 in favor of the Spartans, culminating with the game's largest lead, a 32-point advantage with 6:01 to play.
- Brevard's longest scoring run of the second half, an 8-0 spurt, trimmed the lead back under the 30-point mark, ending with the team's final made field goal with 4:18 remaining. Over the final four minutes, Upstate held the Tornados without a made field goal. The Spartans ended the game on a 6-0 scoring run as a CJ Rich layup with 40 second on the clock pushed Upstate past the 90-point barrier.
Notable
- With the team's third 90-point outing of the 2024-25 season, Upstate posts the most 90-point games in a single season in four seasons. The Spartans' three such outings in 2024-25 are the most since posting five 90-plus-point outputs during the 2019-20 season.
Up Next for the Spartans
Heading back on the road for the team's penultimate road contest during its non-conference slate, USC Upstate heads to Western Carolina Saturday afternoon. Tip-off between the Spartans and Catamounts is set for 3 p.m. ET.
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