BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Continuing to show its toughness and grit in league play where every game is a grind, USC Upstate women's basketball remained resilient as it sought a second-half comeback Saturday versus Gardner-Webb. The Spartans' attempt fell just short in a 79-73 decision.
 
Delivering Upstate a 20-point scorer in consecutive games for the first time since Feb. 10 and 14, 2024, freshman guard Gwen Jenkins made the most of her first career start, putting forth a career-high 21 points. She finished the afternoon shooting 53.8 percent (7-of-13) from the field and 50.0 percent (4-of-8) from three with both her seven made field goals and four made threes marking career-bests.
 
Joining Jenkins in double-figures, junior guard Jeni Levine, senior forward Rebekah Gordon, and redshirt freshman guard Cassie Gallagher notched 12, 11, and 10 points, respectively.
 
The Spartans posted a +15 margin on the boards, outrebounding the Runnin' Bulldogs 44 to 29. Freshman forward Ava Miller paced Upstate on the glass, corralling a career-best 10 boards, the third Spartan this season with a 10-plus rebound game.
 
Game Information
Score: Gardner-Webb 79; USC Upstate 73
Records: USC Upstate (4-14; 1-4 Big South); Gardner-Webb (6-12; 3-3 Big South)
Location: Paul Porter Arena | Boiling Springs, N.C.
 
How It Happened
First Quarter

• Seeing Gardner-Webb jump out to an early lead behind an and-one conversion, Upstate responded with its longest scoring run of the day, reeling off nine straight points, taking the lead for the first time. Three of the team's quartet of double-figure scorers—Rebekah Gordon, Gwen Jenkins, and Jeni Levine—each sank their first markers of the game in the scoring run.
• Fighting back to knot the game, the Runnin' Bulldogs strung together a 7-0 scoring ahead of the quarter's media timeout before a Gordon hook shot snapped the stretch. Out of the stoppage, Cassie Gallagher hit a mid-range jumper to extend the lead to four with Emma Blair and Olivia Forster hitting shots later in the period to keep the advantage at that length.
• Closing the quarter, Gardner-Webb hit consecutive triples, regaining the advantage for the final time.

 
Second Quarter

• Beginning the second as it ended the first, Gardner-Webb hit a pair of three-pointers, growing its advantage to eight, the largest of the first half. Answering for the Spartans, Jenkins drained her second triple of the day before Gallagher ripped off a personal eight-point run to tie the game at 31 with 5:48 remaining in the quarter.
• Each side responded to the tie with 5-0 stretches with Upstate's run tying the game at 36 with 2:21 to play before the half. The Runnin' Bulldogs held Upstate without a field goal following the run, staking a two-point advantage at the break.

 
Third Quarter

• Out of the locker room, the game saw both sides go back and forth with one another, answering scores before the Spartans responded to the half's first three-ball with its longest scoring run of the quarter. Upstate scored five straight markers, tying the game for the final time with 5:34 to play in the quarter.
• Gardner-Webb followed the tie with a 7-0 scoring stretch to grow back its lead. The Runnin' Bulldogs closed the quarter on an 11-2 scoring run, holding the Spartans without a field goal since the close of their 5-0 run.

 
Fourth Quarter

• Kickstarting the fourth quarter and trimming the lead from nine—the game's largest margin—Jenkins opened the final stanza with five straight points, the lone instance of a team scoring on consecutive possessions for over eight minutes of the quarter.
• Over the game's final minute, Gardner-Webb began expanding its lead, hitting seven free throws in the final minute. Jenkins closed the game with the final five points for the Spartans, scoring 14 points in the final period.

 
Notable

• Behind her career-high 21 points, Gwen Jenkins delivered the Spartans a 20-plus point scorer in consecutive games for the first time since Feb. 10 and Feb. 14, 2024. Saturday's game marks the second straight game the team's leading scorer has dropped a career-best 21 markers.

 
Up Next for the Spartans
Remaining on the road, USC Upstate finishes its two-game stint away from Spartanburg with a trip to High Point Wednesday. Tip-off between the Spartans and Panthers is set for 7 p.m. ET.
 
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