Aijah Palmore Collects First Double-Figure Scoring Game as a Spartan, Nearing a Double-Double as Women's Basketball Battles Marshall at Morehead State MTE

Friday, November 21

Morehead, Ky.

12:00 p.m.

University of South Carolina Upstate Athletics

2-4,0-0Big South

Marshall

4-2,0-0Sun Belt

Team	1	2	3	4	F
Marshall	29	17	19	20	85
USC Upstate	7	16	19	12	54

Aijah Palmore Jumper vs. Marshall 2Q 2025 - RF

Photo by: Ryan Frye

11/21/2025 5:13:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

MOREHEAD, Ky. – Opening the team's lone 2025-26 multi-team event as play at the Morehead State MTE got underway Friday afternoon, USC Upstate women's basketball dropped its event opener 85-54 against Marshall. The Spartans, despite the result, defeated the Thundering Herd on the glass 36-25, posting the team's best single-game rebounding margin (+11) against a Division I foe since March 1, 2025, versus Longwood (+17).

A pair of Spartans, graduate student forward Aijah Palmore and redshirt junior forward Vera Söderblom, nearly secured double-doubles for the Spartans, combining for 17 points and 16 rebounds between them. Palmore, one of two Upstate players in double-figures, notched her first double-figure scoring game as a Spartan, producing 10 points behind 4-of-5 shooting from the field to go with seven boards. Pulling in a team-high nine rebounds, her second straight contest and third overall with nine-plus boards, Söderblom also chipped in seven points, going 3-of-4 from the floor.

Redshirt sophomore guard Cassie Gallagher paced the Spartans in the scoring column, dropping 11 for her team-best fourth double-figure scoring game of the season. Just shy of double-figures, redshirt sophomore forward Emma Blair collected nine markers, shooting 4-of-6 from the field.

Game Information
Score: Marshall 85; USC Upstate 54
Records: USC Upstate (2-4; 0-0 Big South); Marshall (4-2; 0-0 Sun Belt)
Location: Johnson Arena | Morehead, Ky.

How It Happened
First Quarter

Controlling the opening tap, the Thundering Herd scored on their first possession, a layup, to take the early lead. The Spartans responded as Cassie Gallagher knocked down a triple from the wing, swinging the advantage in Upstate's favor.
Marshall, however, answered with a 15-0 scoring run, the longest of the game, fuelled by the first three of 16 three-point makes on the day. Aijah Palmore snuffed the run with a layup before adding another bucket later in the stanza, giving her four markers at the quarter break.

Second Quarter

Chipping away at the Thundering Herd lead, Vera Söderblom registered her first points with a layup from the left block. The field goal started a 10-3 scoring run for the Spartans, a run capped by Upstate's longest scoring stretch of the day, reeling off eight straight markers.
Providing its answer for the Spartans' extended scoring run, Marshall tallied the next 11 points, its second double-digit scoring run of the afternoon. Palmore offered the Upstate rebuttal, scoring the team's final six points of the half.

Third Quarter

Söderblom again notched the first points of the frame, hitting another layup to open the third stanza. Converting an and-one opportunity, Emma Blair offered the next three Upstate markers, three of her seven second-half points.
The Spartans held the Thundering Herd without a field goal for the first four-plus minutes of the half before hitting a layup with 5:51 to play in the frame. Aubrie Kierscht responded to the Marshall field goal with a three on the other end, her second of the day.
Upstate closed the quarter with an 11-5 scoring stretch with seven of the stretch's points coming from Gallagher with Blair and Zoe Richardson combining for the other four.

Fourth Quarter

Running the Spartans' streak of quarters with the first points, Kinley Paterson laid one home on the fastbreak to begin the scoring in the final frame. The bucket started a stretch for Upstate with scoring coming from the paint or just outside, as the team's next six points were scored around or in the painted area.

Notable

Besting Marshall 36-25 on the boards, Upstate's +11 rebounding margin marked the team's highest rebound margin versus a Division I opponent since March 1, 2025, versus Longwood. The margin is the first double-digit rebounding margin by the Spartans against a non-conference D1 opponent since besting Western Carolina by 13 on Nov. 18, 2022.
Leading to the team's 36 rebounds, the Spartans' corralled 19 offensive boards, tied for the most in a game for the club this season. Upstate turned those 19 offensive rebounds into 17 second-chance points, the most in a game for the team this season.

Up Next for the Spartans
Upstate wraps the Morehead State MTE Saturday afternoon against the host Eagles. Tip-off is set for noon ET.

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