SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The USC Upstate women's basketball program saw its 2023-2024 season come to an end, as the Spartans fell 78-60 to the College of Charleston Cougars in the first round of the WNIT on Thursday night.   

Despite the Cougars reaching a nine-point lead in the first quarter, the Spartans battled back to lead the College of Charleston by one point at the end of the first quarter. Upstate was led through the first quarter by Dakota Reeves, with six points, and Isabell West, with five points. Trinity Johnson and Rebekah Gordon led the team in assists with five apiece while Gordon also led the team in rebounds with five, all of which were defensive. As a team, the Spartans displayed accuracy on offense after going 41.7% from the field, compared to the Cougars' 33.3%. Upstate also held a superior three-point percentage (40.0%-25.0%) and free throw percentage (50.0%-0.0%).  

The Spartans found themselves trailing as the head into the halftime break after going 41.2% from the field and 66.7% from the free throw line. Johnson continued to have a strong performance and led the Spartans in the second quarter with five points, one assist, and one steal. Reeves and Gordon contributed three points each to the Spartans' 17-point second quarter while Jeni Levine, Zora Fray-Chinn, and Gracie Barnes scored two apiece. Both teams scored four points off turnovers, had four points off the bench, and two points on the fast break; Upstate slightly more success in the paint (10-8) while the College of Charleston had more second chance points. At the break, Johnson sat with six points, three assists and one steal. Gordon led the team in rebounds with six while also recorded four points, three assists and one steal.  

Following the break, Upstate tallied another 10 points compared to the College of Charleston's 18. Regardless of the break, Johnson remained hot as she scored half of the Spartans' third quarter points while also being credited with two rebounds and one assist. Upstate was not as successful from the field in the third quarter, but continued to take advantage where possible and went 80.0% from the free throw line.  

In the fourth quarter the Spartans were back to business as they went 45.5% from the field, 66.7% from distance, and 100.0% from the free throw line. Freshman, Gracie Barnes had an exceptional fourth quarter as she led the team with seven points after going 2-4 from the field, 1-1 from distance, and 2-2 from the free throw line. Reeves contributed six points to the Spartans' 18 points in the fourth quarter while Johnson contributed three and Levine chipped in two. West finished the game with two final rebounds while Levine was credited with two final assists. At the final buzzer, the Spartans fell 78-60, bringing an end to the 2023-2024 season. Reeves led the team in points with 15 while Johnson was just behind her with 14. West led the team in rebounds for one final game with nine with Gordon finishing close behind her with eight.   

 
Game Information 
Score: USC Upstate 60; College of Charleston 78 
Records: USC Upstate (16-16; 10-6 Big South) vs. College of Charleston (22-9; 13-5 CAA)   
Location: G.B. Hodge Center | Spartanburg, S.C.   

How It Happened: 

First Quarter: Upstate 15; College of Charleston 14 

• The Cougars got a jump on the Spartans to start the first quarter with four unanswered points.  

• Upstate was able to get on the board after a scoreless three minutes but trailed by eight points at the media timeout (11-3). 

• Following the media timeout, the Spartans outscored the Cougars 7-3 to bring the game within four points going into the last two minutes of the first quarter. 

• The Spartans scored the final five points in the first quarter to take a one-point lead going into the second quarter.  

Second Quarter: Upstate 32; College of Charleston 37 

• Upstate extended its lead to start the second quarter as the Spartans outscored the Cougars 5-2 in the first three minutes (20-16). 

• The Cougars battled back and took a one-point lead with under five minutes until the halftime break (23-22). 

• Over the next two minutes, both teams exchanged the lead, but it was the College of Charleston that held the lead with under two minutes until halftime (30-26). 

• Before halftime, the College of Charleston outscored Upstate 7-6 to hold a five-point lead at the break (37-32). 

Third Quarter: Upstate 42; College of Charleston 55 

• Coming out of the break, the Spartans broke an over two-minute-long scoring drought for both teams to which the Cougars responded with five points of their own (42-33). 

• Both teams were quiet on offense for the next minute and a half.  

• The next two minutes saw seven points for Upstate and the College of Charleston respectively, which left the Spartans trailing by nine with two minutes left in the third quarter. 

• In the final two minutes of the third quarter, the Cougars extended their lead to 13-points with an additional six points while the Spartans made one final basket (55-42). 

Fourth Quarter: Upstate 60; College of Charleston 78 

• The final quarter began with a six-point run from the College of Charleston which Reeves was able to stop with one from distance (61-45). 

• Over the next three minutes, Upstate was able to outscore the College of Charleston 5-2 to continue its attempt to come back (63-50).  

• Both teams scored another eight points respectively over the next three minutes to make the game 71-58 going into the final two minutes. 

• In the final two minutes, the Cougars went on a seven-point scoring run but it was the Spartans that scored the final two points of the game for a 78-60 finish.  

Notable 

• This was Upstate's first ever WNIT appearance as well as the fourth postseason appearance the Spartans have made during their Division I era. 

• Trinity Johnson had her 17th game of the season scoring 10+ points with the 14 points she had against the College of Charleston. 

• Dakota Reeves had her 10th game of the season scoring +10 points and her fifth game of the season scoring 15+ points with the 15 she scored against the Cougars. 

• Johnson led the team in assists (5) for the 26th game this season.  

• West led the team in rebounds (9) for the 20th game this season.   

Tickets on Sale for Sparty's Ball – Saturday, May 18
Support USC Upstate Athletics at Sparty's Ball, the largest fundraiser of the year for the Upstate Athletic Fund. The UAF impacts current and future generations of Spartans, developing champions on the field, building scholars in the classroom, and preparing leaders for life. Presented by the Sports Medicine Institute, a division of Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, Sparty's Ball features live and silent auction items, delicious food from Cribbs Catering, beverages, and live entertainment from Under the Sun, and held at a new location, Indigo Hall in downtown Spartanburg. Come dressed in your Spartan best—cocktail attire is required. For details and tickets, log onto www.upstatespartans.com/spartysball.

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