ATHENS, Ga. – Facing a Power-Four opponent for the second time this season and continuing a stretch of three of four games against such foes to begin the season, USC Upstate women's basketball showed its resolve Monday night in its clash with Georgia at Stegeman Coliseum. The Spartans showed strong out of the half, fashioning their highest-scoring quarter of the season against a Division I opponent with 18 third-quarter markers in the 78-44 decision.
 
Leading all scorers Monday evening, redshirt sophomore guard Cassie Gallagher notched her second career 20-plus point scoring game, dropping 20 against the Bulldogs. She finished the night shooting 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, securing the first double-digit scoring game by a Spartan against a Power-Four foe since 2023-24, and the first 20-plus point scoring game by a Spartan versus a Power-Four opponent since 2020-21.
 
Redshirt sophomore forward Emma Blair finished just shy of double-figures, notching eight points, including going a perfect 4-of-4 from the charity stripe. Elsewhere in the box score, redshirt junior guard Aubrie Kierscht led Upstate with four rebounds while freshman guard Kinley Paterson offered a career-best four assists.
 
Game Information
Score: Georgia 78; USC Upstate 44
Records: USC Upstate (1-2; 0-0 Big South); Georgia (3-0; 0-0 SEC)
Location: Stegeman Coliseum | Athens, Ga.
 
How It Happened
First Quarter

• Snapping a 5-0 Georgia run to begin the game, Cassie Gallagher hit her first shot of the night with her layup, marking her first points of the night. She'd pull Upstate within two, nearly 45 seconds later, knocking down a triple from the wing.
• Following another five-point run by the Bulldogs, Gallagher continued to factor into the Spartan scoring, finding Gwen Jenkins for a jumper just inside the three-point arc. Gallagher ended the Spartan scoring in the opening frame, drilling another wing trey, cutting the deficit to four.

 
Second Quarter

• Spanning the quarter break, Georgia tallied 18 straight markers before Aijah Palmore broke the streak with a free throw. Emma Blair kept Upstate's momentum going, kickstarting a 7-0 Spartan run with a pair of free throws before seeing Aubrie Kierscht nail a triple and cleaning up the glass for a layup to close the run.
• Cassie Gallagher reached double-figures for Upstate as she went among the trees and hit a contested layup with 56 seconds remaining before half.

 
Third Quarter

• Out of the halftime locker room, Upstate provide a quick answer to the Bulldogs first points of the half, responding with four straight points as Gallagher and Jenkins hit jumpers. Georgia, however, answered with a 7-0 scoring run.
• Gallagher again ended the Georgia scoring stretch, hitting a trey from the corner with an assist from Kinley Paterson. Upstate kept pace with the Bulldogs for the remainder of the quarter, seeing Blair, Gallagher, Paterson, Madison Miller, and Zoe Richardson all notch markers.

 
Fourth Quarter

• Answering consecutive Georgia field goals with ones of its own, Upstate built a short four-point swing behind buckets from Vera Söderblom and Gallagher. Using a jumper from the top of the key, Gallagher hit the 20-point mark for the Spartans.
• Snapping a 10-0 Bulldog run and ending a four-minute scoring drought, Blair knocked down the final Spartan field goal, a layup giving her eight points on the night.

 
Notable

• Reaching double-figures versus Georgia, Cassie Gallagher is the first Spartan since Isabell West (12 points) versus Georgia Tech on Dec. 20, 2023, to score in double-figures against a Power-Four opponent.
• Gallagher's 20 markers are the most points scored by a Spartan against a Power-Four foe since Dec. 2, 2020, when McKinley Brooks-Sumpter notched 21 points versus Alabama.
• Dropping 20 points against the Bulldogs, Monday's contest marked the second career 20-point scoring game for Gallagher. The game also stands as the first 20-plus point scoring game for a Spartan during the 2025-26 campaign.

 
Up Next for the Spartans
Staying on the road, Upstate faces another Southeastern Conference opponent Wednesday, heading to the Bluegrass State for the first time this season for a meeting with No. 20 Kentucky. Tip-off between the Spartans and Wildcats is slated for 6:30 p.m. ET on Nov. 12.
 
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