SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Home for the first time during the new year and during Big South Conference play, USC Upstate women's basketball displayed its toughness in a hard-fought battle against High Point Saturday afternoon. The Spartans kept pace with the Panthers throughout the game, building a first-half lead as large as 10, but ultimately fell in a 72-58 decision at the G.B. Hodge Center.
Helping tilt the rebounding margin in the Spartans' favor for the second consecutive league contest, redshirt junior forward Vera Söderblom tied her career high with 13 boards, her third double-digit rebounding game of the season. Adding to her career night, she tied a career high with three blocks while chipping in a career-best three steals to complement a stat line that also featured six points and an assist.
Upstate finished the afternoon besting the Panthers on the glass by a 42-to-34 margin as the team's +8 edge marked the ninth time the Spartans have taken the win in the specialty stat this year.
In the scoring column, redshirt sophomore guard
Cassie Gallagher dropped 18 points, leading the Spartans as she finished 6-of-15 from the field and 2-of-4 from three. Redshirt junior guard
Aubrie Kierscht joined Gallagher in double-figures with 13 markers with freshman guard
Kinley Paterson nearly joining the duo as she notched eight points, adding five rebounds and four assists to her line.
Game Information
Score: High Point 72; USC Upstate 58
Records: USC Upstate (5-11; 0-2 Big South); High Point (13-2; 2-0 Big South)
Location: G.B. Hodge Center | Spartanburg, S.C.
How It Happened
First Quarter
- After seeing the opening tap bound around before ultimately secured by the Spartans, Cassie Gallagher lifted the lid as she nailed a three on Upstate's opening possession. She'd score the first five markers for the Spartans as the two sides jockeyed for the lead in the early going.
- Following a called Upstate timeout, the Spartans began to swing momentum in their favor, reeling off their longest scoring run of the afternoon with seven straight markers spurred by a hook shot from Aijah Palmore and a triple from Aubrie Kierscht. Upstate pushed the scoring stretch to 16-4, building its largest lead (+10) as the quarter waned. Kierscht proved the catalyst of the run, knocking down a pair from beyond the arc, part of her eight points in the first quarter.
Second Quarter
- Regaining the lead, High Point, spanning the quarter break, offered its longest scoring run of the afternoon, stringing together 12 straight markers, beginning the second stanza on a 9-0 scoring run—all three-pointers.
- Upstate tipped the scales back in its favor in the middle portion of the period, holding the Panthers without a field goal for over five minutes. The Spartans retook the advantage behind an 8-2 stretch between High Point field goals, seeing shots hit by Palmore, Kinley Paterson, and Zoe Richardson.
- High Point took the lead into the halftime locker room as it closed the half on a 10-2 scoring run, building a four-point advantage at the break.
Third Quarter
- Countering a Panther layup to begin the second half and push the lead to six, Upstate crafted a 5-0 scoring spurt to trim its disadvantage to one. Gwen Jenkins sank a three from the wing to begin the run before Gallagher closed the run with a jumper from the elbow.
- Providing its answer, High Point rattled off an 8-0 scoring run to lengthen its lead, holding Upstate off the scoreboard for six minutes of action. Gallagher broke the run with her second three of the afternoon.
Fourth Quarter
- Seeing High Point begin the final frame with a four-point spurt to push its lead to double-digits for the first time, the Spartans dug into the disadvantage with a 6-0 scoring run fuelled by makes from Gallagher, Palmore, and Paterson. The run answered by a 6-0 High Point run kickstarted a stretch of answered runs with the sides trading 4-0 runs as the clock dwindled.
- Continuing to fight, the Spartans kept pace with the Panthers into the final minute, outpacing their opposition by a 9-8 margin. High Point pulled away with five makes from the free throw line in the final minute.
Notable
- Corralling a career-high-tying 13 rebounds Saturday, Vera Söderblom secured the 11th double-digit rebounding game by a Spartan this season, her third of the year. The performance marks Upstate's third double-digit rebounding game during Big South play, the lone team with multiple such performances during league play.
Up Next for the Spartans
Continuing the team's homestand, USC Upstate returns to action Wednesday evening, hosting Winthrop. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. ET.
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