SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Returning to the G.B. Hodge Center after a two-game road trip at Radford and Presbyterian, USC Upstate opens their three-game homestand for the second half of Big South play against Winthrop University where the Spartans look to even the season series.
Saturday's Matchup
February 8, 2025| 2:00 P.M.
USC Upstate (5-20; 1-9 Big South) vs. Winthrop (16-9; 6-4 Big South)
G.B. Hodge Center| Spartanburg, 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!
Mondays at 4:00 p.m.: "Spartans at the Spice" at Sugar N Spice with Coach Dick Cox (Watch).
Tuesdays at 3:20 p.m.: Visit with the Voice of the Spartans Ryan Clary at Delaney's Irish Pub (when available)
How they Stack Up
Series: Winthrop leads series 15-2
Last Five Meetings: Jan. 2, 2025 (WIN 95; UPST 76); Feb. 24, 2024 (WIN 83; UPST 74); Jan. 6, 2024 (WIN 82; UPST 80 {OT}); Feb. 11, 2023 (UPST 79; WIN 70); Dec. 29, 2022 (UPST 70; WIN 62)
How they Compare
|
USC Upstate
|
|
Winthrop
|
|
74.1
|
Scoring Offense
|
84.7
|
|
82.3
|
Scoring Defense
|
77.6
|
|
-8.2
|
Scoring Margin
|
7.1
|
|
.458
|
Field Goal Pct.
|
.468
|
|
.474
|
Field Goal Pct. Defense
|
.435
|
|
.297
|
Three-Point FG Pct.
|
.316
|
|
.345
|
Three-Point FG Pct. Defense
|
.350
|
|
.680
|
Free Throw Pct.
|
.664
|
|
34.5
|
Rebounds/Game
|
39.1
|
|
36.5
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Rebounds Against/Game
|
37.3
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|
-2.2
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Rebounding Margin
|
1.8
|
|
13.2
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Assists/Game
|
12.2
|
|
14.5
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Turnovers/Game
|
12.8
|
|
12.0
|
Turnovers Forced/Game
|
15.1
|
|
-2.5
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Turnover Margin
|
2.2
|
|
7.0
|
Steals/Game
|
8.4
|
|
2.1
|
Blocks/Game
|
3.5
|
Last Times Out
February 5, 2025: Presbyterian 75; USC Upstate 64
February 5, 2025: Winthrop 83; Charleston Southern 65
Players to Watch
USC Upstate: Freshman Guard, Carmelo Adkins comes off his second consecutive double figure games adding 14 Points at Radford and 16 Points at Presbyterian. Head Coach, Marty Richter has continued to give the green light to his young guard as Adkins has continued to trust his shot from beyond the arc with four made three-pointers at Radford and three against the Blue Hose. Adkins is the third leading scorer on the Spartans averaging 10.3 Points Per game shooting 41 percent from the field, 34 percent from beyond the arc and 73 percent from the charity stripe. Adkins added his career high with four steals against Presbyterian while taking on the challenge of guarding positions one through five. Adkins looks to continue to help USC Upstate across the board through every stat along with helping the Spartans tie the season series against Winthrop.
Winthrop: Senior Forward, Kelton Talford currently leads the Eagles in the scoring column with 15.8 Points per game and recently has come off a stretch of three consecutive 20+ Point games. Talford also adds a will to crash the boards and give his opposing defenders trouble to guard him averaging 7.9 rebounds per game with his season high being 14 rebounds. In the last matchup against USC Upstate on January 2, 2025, Talford led with 25 Points shooting 9-for-11 overall and 7-for-11 from the free throw line. Talford posses a traditional forward style of play using his strength and fundamentals to get to the basket causing defenders to either let him score or give contact. Talford looks to lead the way against the Spartans in their second matchup.
Up Next for the Spartans
Continuing the home cooking in the G.B. Hodge Center, USC Upstate renews their I-26 Rivalry Wednesday, February 12 at 7:00 P.M. against UNC Asheville where the Spartans looks to even the score in Hub City.
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.
Connect with the Spartans
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