SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The No. 2 seed USC Upstate women's basketball program is set to take on No. 7 seed Longwood on Thursday night as the Spartans enter the Big South Women's Basketball Quarterfinals in the highest seeding the program has seen since joining the Big South in 2018.
This Week's Matchups
March 7, 2024 | 6:00 p.m.
No. 2 USC Upstate (15-14; 10-6 Big South) vs. No. 7 Longwood (9-20; 6-10 Big South)
Qubein Center | High Point, N.C.
TV: ESPN+ | Via WatchESPN.com or the ESPN App
Weekly Coaches Interview: Catch head coach Jason Williams weekly on Fox Sports Spartanburg every Monday at 8:30 a.m. ET.
How They Stack Up
No. 2 USC Upstate (15-14; 10-6 Big South) vs. No. 7 Longwood (9-20; 6-10 Big South)
Series: USC Upstate leads the overall series 12-11
Last Five Meetings: Feb. 7, 2024 (UPST 49; LWU 45); Jan. 17, 2024 (UPST 58; LWU 66); Feb. 15, 2023 (UPST 64; LWU 97); Jan. 14, 2023 (UPST 55; LWU 42); Feb. 23, 2022 (UPST 66; LWU 71)
Earlier This Season
Upstate split the series against Longwood this season after dropping game one 66-58 on the road in January before finishing the series with a 49-45 win at home. In the first meeting of the season, Dakota Reeves (12), Trinity Johnson (12), Isabell West (11), and Gracie Barnes (10) all scored in double figures while Rebekah Gordon had a season-high 10 rebounds. Gordon let the Spartans in the second meeting of the year with 11 points, seven rebounds, and one steal. West also had a strong performance in the second go-round against the Lancers with six points, nine rebounds, two blocks, and one steal.
Players to Watch
USC Upstate: In the final game of the regular season, the Spartans were led by sophomore Jeni Levine with her 12th game of the season scoring in double-figures (13) after going 5-10 from the field and 3-4 from the free throw line. Isabell West finished the regular season leading the Spartans stats with 299 points, averaging 10.3 points per game, 197 rebounds, 26 steals, 21 assists, and 19 blocks. Trinity Johnson sits just behind her with 284 points, averaging 10.1 points per game, 116 rebounds, 61 steals, three blocks, and leading the team with 132 assists. Earlier this week, Johnson was not only named First Team All-Conference but was also named the Big South Defensive Player of the Year while West received an honorable mention from the conference and Jeni Levine received All-Academic honors.
Longwood: In the Lancer's final game of the regular season, Malea Brown (13), Adrianna Davis-Shipp (12), and Otaifo Esenbhalu (10) all scored in double-figures in an attempt to down the top seed Panthers of High Point. Janay Turner leads Longwood going into the Big South Women's Basketball Tournament with 271 points, averaging 11.8 points per game, 23 steals, 16 assists, and one blocked shot.
Last Time Out
February 28, 2024: Presbyterian 47; Upstate 43
March 2, 2024: High Point 61; Longwood 58
Up Next for the Spartans
The winner between No. 2 USC Upstate and No. 7 Longwood will advance to the semifinals and play the winner between No. 3 Radford and No. 6 Winthrop on Mar. 9 at 8:00 p.m.
Connect with the Spartans
Facebook.com/UpstateAthletics
Twitter | @UpstateWBB @UpstateSpartans
Instagram | @UpstateWBB @UpstateSpartans
YouTube.com/UpstateSpartans
