SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Returning to the court for Saturday afternoon action, Upstate Men's Basketball takes the court for the opening game of an afternoon doubleheader where the Spartans will host SoCon Opponent, Western Carolina at the G.B. Hodge Center at 2:00 P.M. live on ESPN+.
Saturday's Matchup
Saturday, December 6| 2:00 P.M. EST
USC Upstate (5-5; 0-0 Big South) vs. Western Carolina (4-4; 0-0 SoCon)
TV: ESPN+ | Via WatchESPN.com or the ESPN App
Radio: Fox Sports Spartanburg 98.3 FM/1400| Also available via the FoxSports Spartanburg or TuneIn App
Weekly Coaches Interviews: Catch head coach Marty Richter every week! Tuesdays at 3:40 p.m. at Fox Sports Spartanburg
How they stack up
Series: Upstate leads 3-2
Last five matchups: Dec. 7. 2024 (UPST 74; WCU 68); Dec. 16, 2023 (WCU 70; UPST 53); Dec. 3, 2022 (UPST 79; WCU 64); Dec. 4, 2021 (WCU 78; UPST 73); Nov. 23, 2013 (UPST 72; WCU 58)
How they compare
|
USC Upstate
|
|
Western Carolina
|
|
79.9
|
Scoring Offense
|
78.4
|
|
70.2
|
Scoring Defense
|
76.1
|
|
9.7
|
Scoring Margin
|
2.3
|
|
.456
|
Field Goal Pct.
|
.450
|
|
.401
|
Field Goal Pct. Defense
|
.444
|
|
.340
|
Three-Point FG Pct.
|
.295
|
|
.299
|
Three-Point FG Pct. Defense
|
.363
|
|
.674
|
Free Throw Pct.
|
.686
|
|
39.1
|
Rebounds/Game
|
45.5
|
|
39.0
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Rebounds Against/Game
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33.0
|
|
0.1
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Rebounding Margin
|
8.9
|
|
13.7
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Assists/Game
|
15.3
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|
12.2
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Turnovers/Game
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14.6
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|
13.5
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Turnovers Forced/Game
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13.8
|
|
1.3
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Turnover Margin
|
-0.9
|
|
7.7
|
Steals/Game
|
8.0
|
|
5.7
|
Blocks/Game
|
3.5
|
Last times out
December 3, 2025: USC Upstate 85: Coastal Carolina 78 (OT)
December 2, 2025: Western Carolina 124: Virginia University of Lynchburg 62
Players to watch
USC Upstate: Redshirt Junior Wing, Learic Davis continues to display his versatility on the court, filling up the stats sheet and playing with maximum effort that can boost his team. Davis helped stop two runs against Coastal Carolina converting a three-pointer at 8:17 mark, stopping a 21-4 run following by sparking a run for the Spartans in their second half comeback with a three-pointer in the second half at 7:04 mark. Davis played a season high of 36 minutes in Wednesday's win while adding 11 points going 4-for-8 from the field along with a new season and career high of three triples going 3-for-6. Davis also added a new season-high of nine rebounds, followed by adding two blocks and one steal. Learic Davis proved that he could play at the four position and crash the boards followed by being the small ball five that can space the floor knocking down three-pointers. On the season, Learic Davis averages 8.3 points per game while shooting 50 percent from the field, 34 percent from beyond the arc and 70 percent from the charity stripe. Davis also is one of three Spartans with double digit steals (10) on the season. Learic Davis looks to build on his play going into Saturday's matchup.
Western Carolina: Redshirt Junior, Marcus Kell leads the Catamounts averaging 13.9 points per game while shooting 44 percent from the field, 29 percent from beyond the arc, and 69 percent from the charity stripe. Kell added his season-high against Big South opponent, High Point with 27 points where he shot 11-for-19 from the field and 2-for-6 from the three-point line. On the boards, Kell adds 5.8 rebounds per game with his last outing being a double-double performance with 18 points and 10 rebounds in the win against Virginia University of Lynchburg on Tuesday, December 2nd. The Spartans looks to contain Kell as he can dominate in the paint, stretch the floor and hunt for fouls to go the free throw line.
Up next for the Spartans
Following Saturday afternoon action at home, Upstate Men's Basketball travels to Chapel Hill for a non-conference showdown with ACC Opponent, #16 University of North Carolina on Saturday, December 13th live on the CW at 2:00 P.M.
Connect with the Spartans
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