SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The USC Upstate women's basketball program collected its third Big South loss of the season after a late 53-50 finish against the Panthers of High Point University. Upstate shifts to 9-3 in conference play and 14-11 overall this season.  

With both teams sitting at the top of the conference with a 9-2 Big South record, the Spartans knew they were in for a battle. Upstate was able to get an early jump on the Panthers and led by as much as five in the first quarter. Rebekah Gordon and Trinity Johnson led the team through the first quarter with four points apiece. Gordon led the team in rebounds with three while both Johnson and Zora Fray-Chinn had two assists each. The Spartans found their success in the paint, outscoring the Panthers 12-6 in the paint.  

High Point was able to see the lead for the first time in the second quarter, but it was Upstate that would prevail and lead the game by two points going into halftime. The Spartans were able to go 5-15 from the field while the Panthers struggled to find success from the field, going 2-10. Despite Upstate having a better field goal shooting percentage, it was the Panthers ability to go 83.3% percent from the charity stripe that kept them in the game. Johnson once again tallied four points for the Spartans while Gordon, Dakota Reeves, and Jeni Levine all contributed to respectively. At the halftime break, Johnson led both teams in scoring with eight points as well as two rebounds, two assists, and three steals.  

Following the halftime break, Upstate found its stride including leading by as much as 11 points in the third quarter. The Spartans boasted a 53.8% shooting percentage from the field as well as a 50.0% three-point percentage and a 75.0% free throw percentage to score twice the amount of points as the Panthers (18-9). Johnson found another gear in the third quarter, racking up nine points alone. Gordon continued to have a strong performance as well, scoring another six points in the third quarter. Levine and Gracie Barnes led the team in rebounds with two each while Levine also led in assists with two. Both teams scored five points off of turnovers, but it was Upstate's ability to find success in the paint yet again that gave it the edge over High Point.  

In the final quarter, the Spartans struggled to find their typical success in the paint and came up short on offense. Johnson finished the game with another five points and two rebounds to finish the game with 22 points and five rebounds. Fray-Chinn and Isabell West contributed the remaining four points for Upstate (two respectively) to finish the game with five points each. Gordon finished the game scoring in double figures as well with 12 total points in 28 minutes of play.  

 
Game Information 
Score: USC Upstate 50; High Point 53 
Records: USC Upstate (14-11; 9-3 Big South) vs. High Point (15-10; 10-2 Big South)  
Location: G.B. Hodge Center | Spartanburg, S.C.     

How It Happened: 

First Quarter: Upstate 13; High Point 11 

• Upstate was able to get on the board and establish an early lead and hold High Point to two points in the first three minutes (6-2). 

• High Point broke their dry spell with another two points before both teams assumed more defensive roles.  

• The next two minutes saw another six points for the Spartans and another four for the Panthers (11-8). 

• In the final two minutes of the quarter, High Point outscored Upstate but only by one point (13-11). 

Second Quarter: Upstate 23; High Point 21 

• Like the first quarter, Upstate stacked points to maintain a three-point lead after the first three minutes of the quarter. 

• Both teams went through a near three-minute scoring drought. 

• High Point broke the drought and outscored Upstate by only one point yet again to go into the halftime break with the Spartans leading (23-21). 

Third Quarter: Upstate 41; High Point 30 

• Coming out of the break, both teams tallied another four points in the first three minutes (27-25).  

• The next nearly five minutes saw another nine points for Upstate and only another three points for High Point to give Upstate an eight-point lead going into the final three minutes of the quarter. 

• In the final minutes, Upstate was able to outscore High Point 5-2 to carry an 11-point lead going into the final quarter.  

Fourth Quarter: Upstate 50; High Point 53 

• In the first minute, High Point outscored Upstate 7-4 to bring the game back within single digits (45-37). 

• The Spartans continued to battle for the next three minutes but the Panthers had a slight edge as they tallied five points compared to Upstate's three.  

• A near three minutes of scoreless play kept the game 48-42 with the Spartans leading with just over three minutes remaining in the game.  

• High Point was able to battle back with 11 points scored in the final minutes compared to Upstate's two, including four made free throws.  

Notable 

• Trinity Johnson led the team in scoring with a season-high 22 points. This was Johnson's second 20+ game of the season, but her 11th game of the season scoring in double figures.  

• Johnson also had a season for field goals after going 9-15.   

• Rebekah Gordon had her 10th game of the season scoring in double figures after posting 12 points against High Point.  

• Isabell West led the team in rebounds (7) for the 14th game of the season while.  

• Zora Fray-Chinn was credited with a career-high four assists.  

Up Next for the Spartans  
Upstate finish the week playing game one of an Upstate basketball double header against Gardner-Webb as part of Upstate's 2024 Homecoming.  
   

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