SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Returning home to the G.B. Hodge Center for the first time during the 2025-26 season, USC Upstate women's basketball moved its record inside its gymnasium to 1-0, downing former NAIA District Six foe Erskine in the first meeting between the clubs since 1989. Owing to the 76-54 victory, several Spartans posted career nights with three finishing in double-figures in the scoring column.
 
Headlining the Spartan scoring effort, redshirt junior guard Aubrie Kierscht turned in a season-best 16 points, equalling her career-best total in an Upstate uniform. She finished the night with five made triples, shooting 5-of-9 from distance and spurring Upstate to 10 total made three-pointers on the night. Redshirt sophomore guard Cassie Gallagher and redshirt freshman forward Madison Miller drained two treys apiece, leading to 14 and eight points—the first eight markers of Miller's career—respectively.
 
Finishing a rebound shy of a double-double, redshirt junior forward Vera Söderblom notched 14 markers, one off her career-high, while pulling in nine boards. Gallagher also bid for a double-double, tying her career-high with eight rebounds. Another Spartan turning in career-bests, sophomore guard Gwen Jenkins pulled in a career-best seven rebounds and dished out a career-high seven assists.
 
Game Information
Score: USC Upstate 76; Erskine 54
Records: USC Upstate (1-1; 0-0 Big South); Erskine (0-0; 0-0 Conference Carolinas)
Location: G.B. Hodge Center | Spartanburg, S.C.
 
How It Happened
First Quarter

• Jumping out to a lead it wouldn't relinquish and forcing Erskine to take an early timeout, Upstate scored the first seven markers of the night. Cassie Gallagher broke open the scoring with her first triple of the night before Vera Söderblom notched back-to-back layups off assists from Zora Fray-Chinn, forcing the Flying Fleet timeout.
• Spurred by three treys, the Spartans fashioned their longest scoring run of the day, reeling off 11 straight points. Three-pointers from Aubrie Kierscht, Gallagher, and Gwen Jenkins helped Upstate to its largest lead of the quarter, a 15-point margin.

 
Second Quarter

• Cutting into the Spartans' lead, the Flying Fleet hit consecutive threes late in the second quarter, trimming the advantage to single digits for the final time with 2:25 to play in the half. Responding to the Erskine flurry, Kinley Paterson and Aijah Palmore hit consecutive buckets for Upstate, pushing the lead back to double-figures.

 
Third Quarter

• Beginning the second half much like it did the first, Upstate notched the first eight markers of the new half. Jenkins, Söderblom, Gallagher, and Fray-Chinn each scored in the stretch for the Spartans.
• Countering a five-point Flying Fleet run, the Spartans closed the quarter with each of their final three made shots coming from distance. Kierscht canned three of her five triples down the stretch in the third, twice pushing the Spartan advantage to 20 points.

 
Fourth Quarter

• Closing out the game, Upstate built its largest lead of the night behind a 7-0 scoring stretch late in the fourth quarter. Madison Miller propelled the run with five straight markers before Gracie Barnes knocked down a pair of free throws to close the run.

 
Notable

• Hitting 10 three-pointers Thursday evening, Upstate recorded its highest team three-point total since last season's regular season finale (March 1) versus Longwood when the Spartans hit 11 triples.
• Leading the Spartans from beyond the arc, Aubrie Kierscht knocked down five threes, becoming the first Upstate player to hit five or more threes since Cassie Gallagher hit seven threes against Longwood on March 1.
• Dishing out seven assists, Gwen Jenkins' career-best total marked the most assists by a Spartan since March 1, versus Longwood when former Spartan Jeni Levine passed out seven helpers.

 
Up Next for the Spartans
Beginning a set of games against Power-Four opponents—three of the Spartans' first four opponents hail from the ACC or SEC—Upstate heads back to the road for a trip to Athens, Ga. The Spartans meet the Bulldogs of Georgia for a 6:30 p.m. ET tip-off Monday evening.
 
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