FRESNO, Calif. - Returning to the court for their second game of the season, Upstate Men's Basketball battled Fresno State in a nail-biting performance coming down to the wire where the Spartans successfully completed a second half comeback after trailing by 11 at the half. Holding the Bulldogs to only 30 points, while adding 42 in the second half pushed the Spartans to a team win to end the California trip. 

The Spartans were led by Karmani Gregory with 15 points followed by Mason Bendinger's hot second half to add 14 points and Carmelo Adkins contributing with 13 points off the bench. Gregory shot 6-for-14 from the field, 3-for-8 from beyond the arc and added two assists with one steal. Adkins shot 100 percent from the field and beyond the arc going 3-for-3 overall and 1-for-1 from the three-point line. Adkins went 6-for-8 from the charity stripe which was a team-high. On the boards, the frontcourt depth for Upstate displayed paint dominance Jafeth Martinez leading the Spartans three blocks along with 10 rebounds three offensive and seven defensive) followed by Coen Collier adding four rebounds (three offensive and one defensive). 

The Spartans outdueled the Bulldogs from the field shooting 50 percent including shooting 60 percent in the second half. Upstate followed shooting 35 percent from beyond the arc compared to Fresno State's 23 percent. With Head Coach Marty Richter's message to the team to play hard on each possession, the Spartans won the rebounding battle 38 to 35. Defensively, Upstate collected seven steals with Carmelo Adkins and Tyler Smith both corralling two steals apiece. The team play was a massive advantage with depth showing for the Spartans scoring 26 bench points. 

Game Information 

Score: USC Upstate 67 : Fresno State 66 

Records: USC Upstate (1-1; 0-0 Big South) vs. Fresno State (1-1; 0-0 Mountain West) 

Location: Save Smart Center | Fresno, Calif. 

How it Happened 

First Half 

• Fresno State opened the first six minutes on a 13-4 run, taking the early advantage of converting from beyond the arc and corralling steals. 

• Carmelo Adkins began catching his rhythm with two free throws and a three-pointer cutting Fresno State's lead to five. 

• Fresno State ended the first half on an 11-3 run to lead at the break 36-25. 

Second Half 

• The Spartans open the second half with back-to-back three-pointers from Tyler Smith and Karmani Gregory. 

• Kanye Jones follows with a three-pointer cutting Fresno's lead to 43-36. A Jafeth Martinez block resulted in Breylin Garcia converting on a layup on the other end. 

• A missed three-pointer showed Jafeth Martinez crashing the boards for a and-one layup bringing the score 45-41. 

• Two consecutive jumpers and three-pointer from Karmani Gregory brought the battle to a one-point game with 11 minutes left.  

• A layup in the paint from Carmelo Adkins after a loose ball gave the Spartans their first lead of the night at the 9:13 mark. Mason Bendinger followed with a jumper and two free throws bringing Upstate's lead to 57-54. 

• Fresno State regained the lead at the 5:33 mark with a layup but the Spartans quickly wiped the lead away with two consecutive jumpers from Mason Bendinger and a floater from Karmani Gregory. 

• Upstate's paint presence continued with Jafeth Martinez on another offensive board resulting in a layup bringing the score 65-62 with 2:54 left. Upstate's will to break the press gave the Spartans a three-point lead following a layup from Mason Bendinger.  

• Fresno State added a layup then followed with two free throws looking to steal the game away. As time ran out, the Spartans held their lead. 

Notable 

• Junior, Jafeth Martinez grabbed a season-high of 10 rebounds and three blocks being a massive paint presence for the Spartans. 

• Redshirt Junior, Kanye Jones made his return to the court and scored his first basket since November 6, 2024, after suffering a season-ending injury two games into the 2024-25 season. 

• Upstate has started the first two games with three Spartans being in double figures as Karmani Gregory led with 15 points, Mason Bendinger added 14, and Carmelo finished with 13. 

Up next for the Spartans 

Finishing the California trip, the Spartans make their home debut for the 2025-26 season in the G.B. Hodge Center on Saturday, November 8th hosting Southern Virginia for a noon tip-off. 

Connect with the Spartans       
Facebook.com/UpstateAthletics       
Twitter | @UpstateMBB | @UpstateSpartans       
Instagram | @Upstate_MBB | @UpstateSpartans       
YouTube.com/UpstateSpartans      

INVEST IN CHAMPIONS - Join the Upstate Athletic Fund (UAF) and enjoy enhanced benefits for your support of all USC Upstate programs! Make your gift today, click here!