JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – In a rematch of the regular season finale and the team's opening matchup of the Hercules Tires Big South Basketball Championship from a season ago, USC Upstate women's basketball's bid for a second straight semifinal appearance fell short Thursday evening as the Spartans dropped its quarterfinal matchup 56-37 to No. 2 seed Longwood.
 
Redshirt freshman guard Cassie Gallagher—the Big South Freshman of the Year—paced the Spartans offensively for the second straight contest, leading the way with a game-high 15 points, her sixth career game scoring 15 or more markers. Thirteen of her 15 tallies came in the second half as she shot 4-of-7 from the field and 2-of-5 from three after halftime. She complemented her scoring total with six rebounds, one assist, and one steal.
 
Nearing double-figures, junior guard Jeni Levine dropped in seven points, all coming from the free throw line where she finished 7-for-8 on the evening. Redshirt sophomore forward Vera Soderblom ended the night 2-of-4 from the field, registering five markers. On the glass, senior forward Rebekah Gordon pulled in a team-best eight boards.
 
Game Information
Score: No. 2 seed Longwood 56; No. 7 seed USC Upstate 37
Records: USC Upstate (9-21; 6-10 Big South); Longwood (21-10; 11-5 Big South)
Location: Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tenn.
 
How It Happened
First Quarter

• Taking the opening tap, Longwood raced out to a game-opening 17-0 scoring run, going 8-of-15 from the floor in the quarter. The Spartans lifted the lid of the basket as Jeni Levine knocked down a pair of free throws in the final minute of the stanza.

 
Second Quarter

• The Lancers began the second quarter with a lengthy scoring run, reeling off the period's first six markers. Vera Soderblom snapped the run with the Spartans' first field goal of the day—coming at the 5:04 mark of the quarter—starting a 6-0 Upstate run as her field goal preceded four Jeni Levine free throws.
• Stopping a 5-0 Longwood run, Soderblom teamed with Cassie Gallagher for a small four-point spurt nearing the end of the half, the Spartans' first instance of successive made field goals on the day.

 
Third Quarter

• Out of the period's media stoppage, Gallagher converted a traditional three-point play to kickstart Upstate's scoring in the quarter. She'd later add a triple to close the quarter with a Lele Tanuvasa layup also coming in the stanza to snap a small Lancer run. Upstate closed the quarter holding Longwood without a field goal over the final 3:19 of play.

 
Fourth Quarter

• Fashioning the team's longest scoring run of the night, Upstate dropped in eight straight points ahead of the final quarter's two media timeouts. Consecutive field goals from Gracie Barnes, Gallagher, and Rebekah Gordon forced a Longwood timeout, earning the first media with 6:07 remaining. Gallagher added a pair of free throws to complete the run, culminating in the game's final stoppage.
• The remainder of the game saw neither team craft a multi-possession scoring stretch, alternating over the final five-plus minutes. Gallagher via three and Gordon with a layup provided the final field goals for the Spartans on the night.

 
Notable

• Leading Upstate with 15 points Thursday evening, Cassie Gallagher recorded her sixth game scoring 15 or more points in her first collegiate season. The game also marked her eighth of the 2024-25 campaign as the team's leading scorer, tying Jeni Levine for the most on the club.

 
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