SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Returning to the court after not having to play a midweek game, Upstate Men's Basketball travels to Charleston, South Carolina for a weekend afternoon game against Charleston Southern where the Spartans look to snap their losing streak and end avoid a season series sweep. The Spartans took on the Buccaneers in the G.B. Hodge Center on January 29, 2025, with Charleston Southern stealing a win on homecourt, 82-75.
Saturday's Matchup
February 22, 2025| 2:00 P.M. ET
USC Upstate (5-23; 1-12 Big South) vs. Charleston Southern Buccaneers (10-19; 6-8 Big South)
Buccaneer Field House| Charleston, S.C.
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 twice every week! Tuesdays at 3:20 p.m.: Fox Sports Spartanburg live at Delaney's and Mondays at 4:00 p.m.: "Spartans at the Spice" at Sugar N Spice (Watch).
How they Stack Up
Series: Charleston Southern Leads 14-6
Last Five Meetings: Last Five Meetings: Jan. 29, 2025; (CSU 82; UPST 75) Feb. 21, 2024 (CSU 63; UPST 60); Jan. 13, 2024 (CSU 77; UPST 70); Feb. 8, 2023 (UPST 77; CSU 60); Dec. 31, 2022 (CSU 90; UPST 85)
How they Compare
|
USC Upstate
|
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Charleston Southern
|
|
75.7
|
Scoring Offense
|
73.5
|
|
83.9
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Scoring Defense
|
78.0
|
|
-8.3
|
Scoring Margin
|
-4.5
|
|
.459
|
Field Goal Pct.
|
.429
|
|
.479
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Field Goal Pct. Defense
|
.474
|
|
.309
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Three-Point FG Pct.
|
.376
|
|
.342
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Three-Point FG Pct. Defense
|
.346
|
|
.681
|
Free Throw Pct.
|
.656
|
|
34.2
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Rebounds/Game
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37.6
|
|
37.1
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Rebounds Against/Game
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34.6
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|
-3.0
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Rebounding Margin
|
3.1
|
|
13.7
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Assists/Game
|
11.8
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|
14.1
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Turnovers/Game
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13.3
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|
12.0
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Turnovers Forced/Game
|
9.8
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|
-2.1
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Turnover Margin
|
-3.5
|
|
7.1
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Steals/Game
|
4.7
|
|
2.2
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Blocks/Game
|
2.9
|
Last Times Out
February 15, 2025: Gardner-Webb 96; USC Upstate 87
February 19, 2025: High Point 80; Charleston Southern 63
Players to Watch
USC Upstate: Redshirt Sophomore Guard, Karmani Gregory has bolstered himself into a more aggressive scoring role during the second half of the season. In the two games during the week of February 10-16, Gregory scored his two career highs with 23 Points vs. UNC Asheville and 27 Points against Gardner-Webb. Gregory already displays the leadership style to get the offense going but also gives the defense reasons to adjust with his scoring ability. Gregory has proved to use his speed to drive to the lane, go for a stop and pop mid-range jumper, or spread the floor with a catch and shoot ability from beyond the arc. Karmani Gregory currently is second on the team in scoring averaging 11.2 points per game while shooting 41 percent from the field, 28 percent from beyond the arc, and 68 percent from the charity stripe.
Charleston Southern: Senior Forward, Taje' Kelly continues to be a top scorer in the Big South averaging 20.7 points per game. Through the 24-25 season, Kelly has only had two games that he did not score in double figures. In the January 29th matchup at Upstate, Kelly posted a statline of 25 Points, 17 rebounds, seven assists, and two blocks. The Senior Forward is currently ranked at #9 in the NCAA with his scoring while being ranked at #36 for rebounds per game. Kelly gave the Spartans different matchups throughout the contest and Saturday's battle will be no different as far throwing different coverages towards his way.
Up Next for the Spartans
Continuing their two-game road trip, the Spartans will travel to High Point, North Carolina for their final regular season road game against top-seeded High Point University Wednesday, February 26th with a 7:00 p.m. scheduled tip.
Connect with the Spartans
Facebook.com/UpstateAthletics
Twitter | @UpstateMBB | @UpstateSpartans
Instagram | @Upstate_MBB | @UpstateSpartans
YouTube.com/UpstateSpartans
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