FARMVILLE, Va. – Embarking on the team's longest road trip of Big South Conference play, USC Upstate women's basketball ensured it wouldn't wrap its final road swing empty handed as it remained steadfast—even when facing overtime—capturing a 62-60 victory at Longwood Saturday. The victory marked the program's first in a regular-season finale and in overtime since Feb. 26, 2022, and Dec. 1, 2021, respectively.
 
Turning in the best game of her career, redshirt freshman guard Cassie Gallagher poured in a career-high 25 points, shooting 9-of-16 (56.3 percent) from the field and 7-of-12 (58.3 percent) from three. Fueling her game-high scoring total, she tied the program's Division I era (2007-pres.) record for three-pointers in a game with her seven triples equaling Michaela Gibbons (Jan. 19, 2019, vs. Charleston Southern) for the mark.
 
While Gallagher was the only Spartan scoring in double-figures, nine other Spartans featured in the scoring column of the box score. Senior forward Rebekah Gordon and junior guard Jeni Levine tallied seven points apiece while chipping in 10 rebounds and seven assists, respectively, to complement their scoring totals.
 
As a team, Upstate hit 11 of its 20 attempts from beyond the arc, the team's third game this year with 10 or more three-pointers. The Spartans' 55.0 percent shooting from distance stands as the team's highest single-game three-point field goal percentage since Jan. 29, 2022, versus Campbell.
 
Game Information
Score: USC Upstate 62; Longwood 60 [OT]
Records: USC Upstate (9-20; 6-10 Big South); Longwood (20-10; 11-5 Big South)
Location: Joan Perry Brock Center | Farmville, Va.
 
How It Happened
First Quarter

• Taking the opening tip, Upstate wasted little time in beginning the day's scoring as Rebekah Gordon hit a layup. Longwood scored the next three points, taking the lead for the first time, before Cassie Gallagher fashioned a personal 5-0 scoring stretch to give Upstate a lead it wouldn't relinquish for the remainder of the quarter.
• With neither side scoring consecutive field goals following Gallagher's 5-0 run until late in the stanza, Longwood used a 5-0 scoring run of its own with a minute to play in the period, tying the game at 17. Gordon provided Upstate's response, hitting a tip-in at the buzzer.

 
Second Quarter

• The Lancers knotted the game with the first marks of the second quarter, but Upstate wrestled the advantage back with consecutive field goals from Emma Blair and Jeni Levine. Longwood answered with a 6-0 scoring run, upping the scoring stretch to 11-3 into the final two minutes with the only Spartan shot a three from Ava Miller.
• Closing the half, the Spartans scored the final five points, taking the lead at the break. Gallagher knocked down a three to start the stretch before another tip-in at the buzzer—this one from Vera Soderblom—wrapping the scoring run.

 
Third Quarter

• Spanning the half, the Spartans extended their scoring stretch to six straight markers behind a Gordon free throw. Gallagher twice answered Longwood tying or retaking the lead with a three-pointer
• Seeing the Lancers regain the lead once more in the quarter with 5:41 remaining in the stanza, Upstate closed the quarter on a 7-2 scoring run, building a four-point advantage at the break. Longwood's lone bucket in the final five minutes came with 49 seconds remaining, followed closely by an AC Markham jumper.

 
Fourth Quarter

• Turning away a Lancer attempt to tie the game to begin the final quarter of regulation, Upstate used another 5-0 scoring stretch to grow its lead to six. The Spartans did so again after successive Longwood field goals, with the second 5-0 run of the stanza pushing Upstate's lead to its largest at seven points.
• Fashioning the game's longest scoring run, Longwood notched nine straight points, erasing the deficit and putting the Lancers up two with two minutes to play. Putting the Spartans back in front, Levine nailed a three with 22 seconds left. In the final seconds, Longwood hit a single free throw, tying the game and sending it to overtime.

 
Overtime

• Seeing just six points scored in the overtime period, all of the extra stanza came in the final two minutes with Lele Tanuvas beginning the scoring with 1:58 remaining. Answering a Lancer layup, Gallagher capped her career-best scoring with a jumper with eight seconds to play, delivering the Spartan win.

 
Notable

• Pouring in a career and game-high 25 points, Cassie Gallagher produced the Spartans' highest-scoring game during the 2024-25 season. The game marks the highest-scoring game by a Spartan since Isabell West scored 29 points versus Western Carolina on Dec. 5, 2023.
• Upstate's victory Saturday stands as the team's first win in overtime since Dec. 1, 2021, versus Western Carolina. The win snaps a two-game losing streak in games featuring the extra period.

 
Up Next for the Spartans
With the regular season having come to an end, USC Upstate begins play at the 2025 Big South Women's Basketball Championship Thursday evening. The Spartans earned the No. 7 seed, setting up another matchup with No. 2 Longwood. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. ET.
 
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