SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Closing a two-game homestand as the remaining conference slate dwindles ahead of the impending Big South Men's Basketball Championship, USC Upstate men's basketball went back-and-forth with Charleston Southern Wednesday evening at the G.B. Hodge Center with the Buccaneers corralling the momentum late in the second half to escape with a 63-60 victory.
In a game that saw eight lead changes, including five in the second half, Upstate put the pressure on its opponent as it forced 17 turnovers compared to its eight to battle back from a second-half deficit, building a six-point advantage into the final two minutes. However, Charleston Southern withstood the turnover deficit, holding the Spartans scoreless over the game's final three minutes to fight back to claim the three-point victory.
Sophomore guard
Justin Bailey led all Spartans with 17 markers, finishing 5-of-12 from the field and earning seven of his 17 points at the charity stripe. He also swiped a team-high four steals to pace Upstate defensively. Joining Bailey in double-figures were sophomore forward
Jorge Ochoa and redshirt junior guard
Trae Broadnax who chipped in 11 and 10 points, respectively, with Ochoa's total standing as a career-best.
Game Information
Score: Charleston Southern 63; USC Upstate 60
Records: USC Upstate (9-18; 4-10 Big South); Charleston Southern (9-17; 5-8 Big South)
Location: G.B. Hodge Center | Spartanburg, S.C.
How It Happened
First Half
- Taking the opening tap, Charleston Southern struck first with a driving layup before Justin Bailey answered for the Spartans with a turnaround jumper. The Buccaneers answered the game's first deadlock with a 12-3 scoring run to build the game's largest lead (+9) with Trae Broadnax knocking down the Spartans' lone field goal with three.
- Chipping away at the deficit, the Spartans held Charleston Southern without a field goal for over five minutes as they built a 10-2 scoring stretch to pull within one with seven minutes remaining in the half. The Buccaneers snapped the run with a three before Upstate continued tacking on, pushing the stretch to 17-5 as it swung the advantage.
- Battling back and swinging the momentum in its favor, Charleston Southern fought back to take the lead with two minutes to play in the period as it outscored Upstate by a 9-3 margin to retake a three-point lead. The Spartans, however, closed the half with five total points behind a mid-range jumper from Bailey and a three from Alves for a two-point edge at the break.
Second Half
- Building upon its scoring run to close the first half, Upstate tallied the first points of the second half as Jordyn Surratt turned a Floyd Rideau Jr. steal into a run-out dunk, capping a 7-0 run. The teams traded baskets following the half's opening tally before the Buccaneers fashioned a 5-0 run to retake the lead before Broadnax swung it the other way with a jumper out of the under-16 timeout.
- Charleston Southern answered the Spartans' latest lead with its longest scoring run of the night, stringing together 10 consecutive points, growing a lead as large as nine. Jorge Ochoa chipped into the deficit as he scored the next five Upstate points following the run as the Spartans began fighting back.
- Trailing by seven with eight-and-a-half minutes to play, the Spartans put forth another long scoring stretch, scoring seven straight markers to know things with 6:28 remaining. The Buccaneers responded with four of the next six points to hold the lead at the five-minute mark.
- Upstate retaliated to the latest scoring flurry from Charleston Southern with its longest scoring run of the night, an 8-0 stretch, culminating in its largest lead of the night (+6) with 3:04 ticks remaining. The Buccaneers, however, withstood the run, flipping it in their favor by closing the game on a 9-0 run to earn the three-point victory.
Notable
- Following up on his first game against Charleston Southern on Jan. 13 that saw him drop a career-best 10 points, Jorge Ochoa fashioned another career-high scoring effort against the Buccaneers Wednesday, scoring 11 markers. He earned his career-high point total behind a career-high four field goal makes, going 4-of-6 from the floor on the night.
- Fouled on a three-point attempt in the first half, Justin Bailey drew his 18th foul when attempting a three-point field goal this season versus the Buccaneers. His 18 drawn fouls in such a situation is believed to be the most in the country in the unofficial stat.
- Hitting four threes Wednesday versus Charleston Southern, Upstate improved its streak of consecutive games with at least one made-three pointer to 899 games, a streak dating back to the 1994-95 season. The stretch also includes each of the Spartans' 530 games at the NCAA Division I level (2007-pres.).
Up Next for the Spartans
Returning to the road for the final time during the 2023-24 regular season, Upstate hits the road for a rematch with regional rival Winthrop Saturday. The Spartans and Eagles meet in Rock Hill, S.C., for a 2 p.m. ET tip-off.
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