Clinton, S.C. - Returning to the court for the final stretch of their two-game road trip, USC Upstate battled Presbyterian College in a Midweek battle where the Blue Hose held off the Spartans late rally tying the season series with a final score of 75-64. 

Carmelo Adkins led the Spartans in scoring for his second consecutive game in double figures with 17 Points shooting 6-for-13 overall and 3-for-9 from beyond the arc. Adkins filled the stat sheet with four rebounds, one block, and four steals. Mister Dean added his 18th double figure game on the season with 16 Points shooting 7-for-11 overall, 1-for-1 from three, four rebounds, and one steal. Off the bench, Isiah Skinner contributed to the scoring of USC Upstate with nine points shooting 4-for-5 overall and 1-for-2 from three. 

USC Upstate continues to lean on their rotation of players stepping up outdueling Presbyterian with 20 Bench Points compared to the Blue Hose' eight. Pushing the pace on the offensive end went in their favor with 18 fastbreak points to Presbyterian's 10. USC Upstate's streak of outdueling their opponents in the paint was snapped with Presbyterian going for 54 Points in the Paint to Upstate's 36. 

Game Information 

Score: USC Upstate 64; Presbyterian 75 

Records: USC Upstate (5-20; 1-9 Big South); Presbyterian (10-15; 3-7 Big South) 

Location: Templeton Center | Clinton, S.C. 

How it Happened 

First Half 

• Opening the first five minutes, the Spartans used a 9-2 run to take the lead causing the Blue Hose to adjust. Presbyterian responded with a 11-2 run having the lead change hands with an early 14-11 score.  

• The lead changed for the third time with Carmelo Adkins tying with a three and Mister Dean following with a fastbreak dunk.  

• Upstate built their biggest lead with nine as the Spartans used three successful offensive possessions from Karmani Gregory, Chico Johnson, and Mister Dean capping it off with a nothing but net three-pointer.  

• Presbyterian kept composure through the following minutes by exploding on a 15-2 run that took their nine point deficit to a two-point lead at halftime. 

Second Half 

• The action in the second half picked up with the lead changing hands throughout the five minutes as Isiah Skinner splashed a corner three for the first lead change. A layup from Carmelo Adkins and a three-pointer from Andrew McConnell saw the Spartans leading 45-42 at the 15:18 mark. 

• Both opponents continued to trade blows with the Spartans getting more help from the second unit that consisted of back to back layups from Chico Johnson and Isiah Skinner.  

• Presbyterian began to attack the Spartans in the paint through drawing fouls and putbacks keeping the Spartans from regaining the lead. USC Upstate cut the Blue Hose lead to 65-64 with a three-pointer from Carmelo Adkins and shifty layup from Karmani Gregory.  

• Presbyterian rode the hot hand of their offense through the final four minutes by holding the Spartans scoreless while ending the game on a 10-0 run to seal the victory and avoid a season sweep. 

Notable 

• Carmelo Adkins' 17 Points was his best scoring performance since December 18, 2024 where he had his career high of 21 Points against South Carolina State.  

• Mister Dean's 16 Point performance secured his 18th double figure performance continuing to make a case for one of the top freshman in the NCAA. 

Up Next for the Spartans 

USC Upstate returns to the G.B. Hodge center to begin their three-game homestand Saturday, February 8th against Winthrop University with a 2:00 P.M. scheduled tip. 

Ingles I-26 Rivalry Food Drive: Support Miracle Hill Ministries in Spartanburg by donating to the Ingles I-26 Rivalry Series Food Drive through Wednesday, February 12.  All donations stay local and donors may scan the QR code on donation bins for a free ticket to an upcoming Upstate basketball game.  For donation locations and more information, click here.  

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