ORANGEBURG, S.C. - Opening a loaded week of action, Upstate Men's Basketball took the court for night one of their back-to-back on the road at South Carolina State University where the Spartans' late second half stops pushed Upstate to a 78-72 final. 

The Spartans were led by Mason Bendinger with 19 points shooting 9-for-13 from the field along with shooting 1-for-3 from beyond the arc and 4-for-8 from charity stripe. Tyler Smith followed with his season-high with 14 points, four rebounds, three assists and led with three steals. Carmelo Adkins added 13 points shooting 3-for-9 from the field, 2-for-5 from the three-point line, and 5-for-6 from the free throw line. Karmani Gregory was the fourth Spartan in double figures adding 12 points shooting 3-for-7 from the field and adding four assists. Learic Davis added eight points while leading the Spartans with nine rebounds and one steal. Off the bench, Coen Collier contributed six points and six rebounds while leading Upstate with two blocks. Overall, Upstate shot 50 percent from the field and 38 from the three-point line. The Spartans won the paint battle with 36 points compared to the Bulldogs' 22. In the system of creating offense with their defense, Upstate added 18 points off turnovers. The lead changed hands twice along with the score being tied once. SC State took the lead at the 16:47 mark but would not hold it for long as the Spartans regained the lead at the 13:05 mark and never surrendered the lead for the rest of the game. 

Game Information 

Score: USC Upstate 78: South Carolina State 72 

Records: USC Upstate (7-6; 0-0 Big South) vs. South Carolina State (0-12; 0-0 MEAC) 

Location: Smith-Hammond Middleton Memorial Center | Orangeburg, South Carolina 

How it Happened 

First Half 

• Upstate jumped out on a 13-4 run in the early going as Tyler Smith opened the scoring column with a three-pointer followed by the Spartans attacking the paint with multiple layups and free throws. 

• Upstate continued their hot start with Mason Bendinger and Carmelo Adkins scoring on back-to-back possessions with a mid range jumper and a corner three from Adkins. Upstate's lead grew to 11 with Tyler Smith showing off his handles for a stepback three boosting the lead to 26-15. 

• Following Carmelo Adkins' second triple, the Bulldogs began to find their rhythm forcing three turnovers and cutting into the Spartan lead under the five-minute mark. Mason Bendinger halted the Bulldogs' run scoring the final basket going into the half with a 40-37 lead. 

Second Half 

• Tyler Smith opened the second half with a floater to begin a half of back and forths from both opponents. 

• South Carolina State took their first lead at the 16:47 mark, but the lead did not hold up as two consecutive scores from Learic Davis and Coen Collier put Upstate back ahead 48-45. 

• With the score tied at 49, Learic Davis responded with a three-pointer followed by three consecutive scores from Coen Collier, Carmelo Adkins and Tyler Smith sparking an 11-0 run. 

• Under the 10-minute mark, the Bulldogs followed with 8-3 run continuing to show fight, but the Spartans began to attack the paint to make trips to the free throw line.  

• At 3:19, Karmani Gregory splashed a corner three-pointer pushing the lead back to five adding a new challenge for the Bulldogs. In the final minute, Upstate converted four throws, and Tyler Smith scored the final two baskets pushing the Spartans to a 78-72 final. 

Notable 

• Tyler Smith's 14-point performance added his second 10+ point outing on the season, followed by his new season-high in scoring. 

• Learic Davis continues his streak of one or more steals a game marking his ninth consecutive game with a steal. 

• Carmelo Adkins' 13-point performance marked his 10th 10+-point performance along with eighth game of the season with two or more three-pointers made. 

Up next for the Spartans 

Upstate Men's Basketball continue their week of action with their second half back-to-back action at the G.B. Hodge Center on Wednesday, December 17th hosting Southern Wesleyan at 7:00 P.M. Eastern time. 

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