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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