SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Returning to the G.B. Hodge Center after a two-game road trip in conference play, Upstate Men's Basketball hosted High Point University for an evening Big South Matchup. The Spartans fought their way back from a 19 Point lead in the second half to cut into the Panthers by single digits. Late Free throws from High Point was enough to halt the late run from the Spartans and seal the game with a final score of 86-77. 

The Spartans had an offensive outing of five USC Upstate Men's Basketball players in double figures for the first time since December 4, 2024. Leading in the scoring column, Karmani Gregory added his career high with 18 Points followed by Brit Harris leading the second unit with 15 Points. Mister Dean followed with 14 Points and Andrew McConnell and Breylin Garcia each contributed with 12 Point apiece. The Spartans out dueled the Panthers in the turnover battle as USC Upstate finished with 10 compared to High Point's 11. Head Coach, Marty Richter's plan to outscore High Point in the paint worked for perfection as the Spartans scored 34 points in the paint compared to the Panthers' 24. 

Karmani Gregory's 18 Points was the most since transferring to USC Upstate along with being his career best. Mister Dean and Breylin Garcia combined for 12 rebounds total with Dean leading the team on the boards for the second time in two weeks. The Spartans used their combination of paint play and stretching the floor the outscore High Point in the second half with 40 Points while shooting 33 percent from beyond the arc and 58 percent overall. 

Game Information 

Score: USC Upstate 77; High Point 86 

Records: USC Upstate (5-16; 1-5 Big South); High Point (17-5; 5-2 Big South) 

Location: G.B. Hodge Center | Spartanburg, S.C. 

How it Happened 

First Half 

• High Point jumped to an 11-2 run with their first 11 points being three consecutive three-pointers. The Spartans were able to get their offense going with Karmani Gregory scoring on a mid range floater and Mister Dean following with a strong take to the lane. 

• USC Upstate continued to get settled into their offense with Brit Harris entering the fray with a three-pointer to cut the lead to four. Harris continued to add scoring from the bench and Chico Johnson entered to find his spot in the corner for a three-pointer.  

• With High Point leading 27-22, The Panthers continued to find their shot from beyond the arc by going on 8-0 run to bring their lead back to double digits. The Panthers finished the half shooting 11-for-19 from beyond the arc. 

• The Spartans were able to end the first half with a 9-3 run to go into halftime trailing 48-37 but with a positive outlook to go into the second half through adjustments. Karmani Gregory led with 12 Points followed by Brit Harris adding eight points through one half. 

Second Half 

• High Point brought their energy into the second half by opening scoring their first six points the paint. USC Upstate returned the favor as Breylin Garcia used his strength to crash the boards for a tip-in layup to cut the Panthers' lead to 10. Pushing the pace was adjustment that was added to the second half as Mister Dean grabbed the rebound to find Andrew McConnell for the three-pointer bringing the score to 57-50.  

• The Panthers responded with a 13-2 run as High Point used more of an inside game by drawing fouls, crashing the boards and a three-pointer to bring their lead to 73-54.  

• Under the final three minutes, the Spartans used a 13-2 run with Karmani Gregory opting to go for his patent floater while drawing a foul. Following a timeout, Mister Dean was found in the right place on an alley-oop to bring some more life into the G.B. Hodge Center. Andrew McConnell cut the Panther lead to 11 as converted on a deep three-pointer to give more life to the Spartans.  

• USC Upstate continued to find their stride from beyond the arc with consecutive three-pointers from Andrew McConnell and Brit Harris to bring the game to a 84-77 score. With under 20 seconds remaining, the Panthers converted their final two free throws to halt the late run from the Spartans. 

Notable 

• Karmani Gregory's season high of 18 Points went as his most scored in an Upstate jersey and his career high overall.  

• Brit Harris' 15 Point performance tallied his second double-digit game in the month of January. 

• USC Upstate outscored the Panthers 40-38 in the second half which goes as their second matchup in January to outscore an opponent in the second half. 

Up Next for the Spartans 

The Spartans will hit the road for a quick trip to Virginia as USC Upstate travels to Longwood University for an afternoon road matchup at Longwood Saturday, January 25th with a scheduled tip for 3:00 P.M. 

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