SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The USC Upstate women's basketball program earned its eighth conference win of the season with a late 49-45 finish against Longwood Wednesday night in the G.B. Hodge Center.  

Despite a strong start from the visiting Longwood Lancers, the Upstate Spartans posted a solid first quarter to claim an early lead on their home court. Both Upstate and Longwood scored five points from the field and one basket from distance, but it was Upstate's ability to be composed at the free throw line that gave it a slight advantage. Rebekah Gordon, Dakota Reeves and Isabell West led the team through the first quarter with three points each, while Jeni Levine and Trinity Johnson contributed two points. West led the team in rebounds with three while Johnson led in assists with two. As a unit, Upstate was able to score six points off Lancer turnovers and four points off second chances while Longwood did not get points from either.  

The second quarter told a similar story as Upstate was able to outscore Longwood yet again this time 14-11. As both teams went 5-14 from the field and only scored one basket from the three-point arc, the Spartans yet again got the upper hand in the form of free throws. Gordon led the team through the second quarter with four points, as did AC Markham with four points after going 100.0% from the line. Reeves and West posted three points each for the second straight quarter to help Upstate outscore Longwood. At halftime, Gordon reached seven points and four rebounds while West reached six points and seven rebounds. In the first two quarters, Upstate was able to score more points off turnover (9-2), more points in the paint (14-8), and more second chance points (5-2) to hold a five-point lead going into the break.  

Coming out of the break, Upstate maintained its control of the game as it outscored Longwood 11-9 to make the game 38-31 going into the final 10 minutes. Gordon remained in her role as Upstate's key player of the game, scoring another four points after going 66.7% from the field. Markham also had a strong third quarter as she posted three points, three rebounds, two steals, and one blocked shot. The Spartans found their success in the form of six points off turnovers, eight points in the paint, and four points on the fastbreak.  

The final quarter was the only quarter Longwood had more success on offense than Upstate, but it was the Spartans' ability to perform under pressure that helped lift them to victory. Johnson led the team in points with seven in the final quarter after posting a 100.0% free throw percentage. Jeni Levine contributed the remaining four of Upstate's 11 fourth quarter points. Though she had a quiet fourth quarter on offense, Gordon still had three boards and one steal to help Upstate walk away with the win.  

 
Game Information 
Score: USC Upstate 49; Longwood 45 
Records: USC Upstate (13-10; 8-2 Big South) vs. Longwood (6-17; 3-7 Big South)  
Location: G.B. Hodge Center | Spartanburg, S.C.       

How It Happened: 

First Quarter: Upstate 13; Longwood 11 

• The Spartans found themselves trailing early as the Lancers outshot them 6-2 in the first two minutes.  

• Over the next four minutes, the Spartans kept the game close as they posted another four points compared to the Lancer's three (9-6). 

• Both teams hit a three-minute dry spell on offense which Upstate was able to break first with a shot from distance.  

• The final minutes of the first quarter saw seven points for the Spartans and two points for the Lancers to give Upstate a two-point lead going into the second quarter (13-11). 

Second Quarter: Upstate 27; Longwood 22 

• After a scoreless first two minutes of the second quarter, the Spartans outscored the Lancers 5-2 to extend their lead to five points (18-13). 

• Upstate and Longwood struggled on offense for roughly the next two minutes until a pair of made free throws from Upstate got things going again. 

• In the final three minutes, the Lancers outscored the Spartans 7-4 but Upstate was able to retain the lead going into halftime (27-22). 

Third Quarter: Upstate 38; Longwood 31 

• Upstate began the third quarter with seven-points while holding Longwood scoreless for almost five minutes (34-22). 

• Success from the charity stripe and in the paint helped the Lancers' second half scoring commence, while Upstate had a four-minute scoreless run (34-26). 

• In the final 90 seconds, Longwood was able to cut Upstate's lead down to seven points by outscoring the Spartans by only one point (38-31). 

Fourth Quarter: Upstate 49; Longwood 45 

• Longwood started the fourth quarter with six points in the three minutes to bring the game within one point to which both teams found themselves primarily on defense (38-37). 

• The Spartans continued to battle, stacking another four points compared to the Lancers' two over the next three minutes (42-39). 

• In the final minute and a half of the game, Longwood tied the game 45-45 but Upstate secured the win with a pair of made free throws from both Jeni Levine and Trinity Johnson (49-45). 

Notable 

• Rebekah Gordon led the team in scoring with 11 points to earn her ninth game of the season scoring in double figures. 

• This was the third conference game Gordon has posted double-figures.  

• After her performance tonight, Gordon has led the team in scoring in six of Upstate's contests this season.  

• Trinity Johnson led the team in assists with five, which is the 18th game she has led the team in assists.  

• This is the fourth consecutive season Upstate has split the series with Longwood.  

Up Next for the Spartans  
Upstate prepares to finish the week in North Carolina against I-26 Rival UNC Asheville on Saturday afternoon. 

USC Upstate sponsoring I-26 Rivalry Canned Food Drive presented by Ingles  

Help the Spartans score three bonus points in the yearlong rivalry series against UNC Asheville, the Ingles I-26 Rivalry, by donating canned and non-perishable food items when you attend home events through Saturday, February 10!  Donations are accepted at the Hodge Center everyday including gamedays and look for more Ingles store drop off locations and special incentives for donations on our @UpstateSpartans social media accounts!   All donations support Miracle Hill Ministries in Spartanburg.   
   

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