SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Back inside the friendly confines of the G.B. Hodge Center to begin a three-game homestand and celebrate the university's Homecoming, USC Upstate women's basketball continued its winning ways Saturday, pushing its winning streak to three with a 68-59 victory over Gardner-Webb Saturday afternoon.
 
Behind a career-high-tying six made field goals and five made three-pointers, redshirt freshman guard Cassie Gallagher fashioned her second consecutive 17-point outing, finishing a tally shy of her career-high. She fueled the Spartans from beyond the arc, helping the team to nine made treys, the team's highest single-game output of the Big South slate and the team's second-best single-game production of the season from deep.
 
Freshman guard Gwen Jenkins and junior guard Jeni Levine joined Gallagher in double-figures with 15 and 10 points, respectively. Jenkins scored her 17 markers behind an efficient 4-of-7 (3-of-4 from three) shooting, tying her career-high with five rebounds while adding four assists. Levine's 10 marked her fourth straight double-figure scoring game, supplementing her scoring with six assists—her third game of the year picking six or more apples.
 
For the seventh time in conference play, Upstate crafted a double-digit rebounding margin, besting Gardner-Webb by 12 on the glass. Senior forward Rebekah Gordon headed the effort, corralling 11 rebounds for her seventh double-digit rebounding game—she added nine points, nearing a double-double for the third straight contest.
 
Game Information
Score: USC Upstate 68; Gardner-Webb 59
Records: USC Upstate (8-18; 5-8 Big South); Gardner-Webb (10-14; 7-5 Big South)
Location: G.B. Hodge Center | Spartanburg, S.C.
 
How It Happened
First Quarter

• Starting quickly out of the gates, Upstate took the opening tip, scoring on its first possession as Gracie Barnes knocked down a mid-range jumper. Answering a pair of Gardner-Webb buckets, the Spartans built out their largest lead of the day behind a 13-0 scoring run headed by six points from Cassie Gallagher and five from Gwen Jenkins.
• The Runnin' Bulldogs snapped the Spartan run with a pair of threes, turning the triples into a 12-0 scoring run to regain the lead with 47 seconds remaining in the quarter. Ava Miller connected on a trey from the corner to end the Gardner-Webb run, putting the Spartans back on top at the period break.

 
Second Quarter

• Beginning the new stanza with a three, Gardner-Webb retook the lead before Miller—with a jumper—tied the game again. The Runnin' Bulldogs, however, followed with their longest scoring run of the day crafting their largest lead of the day with a 13-0 run.
• Gardner-Webb's scoring stretch ceased as Rebekah Gordon hit a layup before a Gallagher three began Upstate's quest to chip away at the deficit. Over the final 5:45 of the first half, Upstate outpaced the Runnin' Bulldogs 15-7, closing the gap to five at the horn.

 
Third Quarter

• Closing the gap even further, Upstate began the new half with four straight markers, creating a 9-0 scoring run spanning the halftime break to cut the Gardner-Webb lead to one. The Runnin' Bulldogs followed with seven straight points before the Spartans closed the quarter with a second 9-0 run, holding a one-point advantage into the fourth.

 
Fourth Quarter

• Olivia Forster extended the Spartan scoring run to 11-0 with a pull-up jumper from just inside the arc to open the fourth period's scoring. A 5-0 Gardner-Webb spurt traded the lead in favor of the visitors for the final time as the Runnin' Bulldogs led 52-50 with 6:26 top play.
• Hitting a pair of buckets in a short 6-0 run, AC Markham helped Upstate regain the lead for the final time. The Spartans held off a Gardner-Webb comeback attempt over the final minutes, using a 7-0 scoring run started by a momentous put-back, and-one conversion from Rebekah Gordon and timely free throw shooting down the stretch.

 
Notable

• Scoring 17 points in consecutive games, Cassie Gallagher accomplished the feat of scoring 15 or more points in successive games for the second time in her career. She last did so against Lees McRae and Winthrop on Dec. 19, 2024, and Jan. 2, 2025, scoring 17 and 18 points, respectively.
• With her six assists Saturday, Jeni Levine recorded her third game this season with six or more assists, her first during Big South Conference play. She last did so with seven assists in consecutive games on Nov. 29-30, 2024, against Morehead State and Bellarmine.

 
Up Next for the Spartans
Continuing the team's three-game homestand, Upstate welcomes Charleston Southern to the G.B. Hodge Center next Saturday. Tip-off between the Spartans and Buccaneers is set for 4 p.m. ET.
 
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