Honoring Seniors and Alumni, Women's Basketball Displays its Grit, Outlasting Longwood in 65-63 Double Overtime Win

Saturday, February 21

Spartanburg, S.C.

2:00 p.m.

University of South Carolina Upstate Athletics

10-18,5-9Big South

Longwood

18-9,9-5Big South

OT 1

OT 2

Longwood

USC Upstate

Photo by: Catherine Harney

2/21/2026 10:30:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Entering the day with much cause for celebration, honoring its seniors as part of Senior Day festivities and welcoming back numerous alumni in conjunction with Alumni Day, USC Upstate women's basketball gave its seniors, alumni, and Spartan Army plenty to celebrate, gutting out the program's first double-overtime victory in over 30 years as it outlasted Longwood 65-63 Saturday afternoon at the G.B. Hodge Center.

Earning their fourth win in their past five games, the Spartans stood on their strength, winning the rebounding battle with a +19 rebounding margin, pulling in 59 boards to the Lancers' 40. In its last four wins, Upstate has bested its foe on the glass with an average rebounding margin of +19.75 while corralling 50-plus rebounds in consecutive games for the first time since the 2015-16 season. The Spartans' 59 rebounds are the most by the team in a single game against a D1 opponent, besting its 56 boards against Campbell on Feb. 1, 2020—coincidentally the program's last double-overtime contest.

Leading the rebounding effort, redshirt junior forward Vera Söderblom pulled in a career-high 17 rebounds, her second career 15-plus rebound game. Nearly joining her with double-digit boards, graduate student forward Aijah Palmore finished a rebound shy of a double-double with nine boards, pairing with her 12 points.

Redshirt sophomore guard Cassie Gallagher and redshirt junior guard Aubrie Kierscht joined Palmore in double-figures, tying for the game lead with 16 points apiece. Gallagher finished the afternoon 7-of-19 from the field with all 16 of her points coming after halftime. Kierscht ended the day 6-of-11 from the floor and 4-of-7 from three.

Game Information
Score: USC Upstate 65; Longwood 63 (2 OT)
Records: USC Upstate (10-18; 5-9 Big South); Longwood (18-9; 9-5 Big South)
Location: G.B. Hodge Center | Spartanburg, S.C.

How It Happened
First Quarter

For the second straight contest, Aijah Palmore began the day's scoring, sticking a put-back layup for the game's first markers. Zora Fray-Chinn followed with a jumper of her own, building a 4-0 run for the Spartans to begin the game. Longwood countered with a 6-0 streak of its own, gaining the lead for the first time into the first media stoppage.
On back-to-back Upstate possessions after the Lancers gained the advantage, Lexi Castator answered the Longwood advance, burying a pair of threes. Providing another answer to a Lancer bucket, Zoe Richardson and Aubrie Kierscht hit successive fastbreak layups in the frame's final minute to give Upstate the advantage at the stanza break.

Second Quarter

Adding to a pair of free throws from the first quarter, Longwood built a 6-0 scoring run to regain the advantage. Gwen Jenkins snapped the run with a triple from the wing before Macy Wike cut down a 5-0 Lancer run with a three from the corner just ahead of the media timeout.
Following the Wike triple, Longwood outpaced the Spartans by a 7-2 margin into the locker room, staking a six-point halftime lead.

Third Quarter

Striking first to open the second half, Kierscht drained a turnaround jumper at the end of the shot clock and Cassie Gallagher hit a free throw, pulling Upstate within three. Longwood countered with seven of the next nine points, building an eight-point lead, its largest of the day, at the quarter's media.
While neither side scored for over three-and-a-half minutes of action, the Spartans closed the period on a 5-0 scoring run, sparked by a Kierscht three with 1:39 to play. Palmore knocked down a pair from the charity stripe with 59 seconds remaining, trimming the Spartans' disadvantage to three at the frame's conclusion.

Fourth Quarter

Knocking down a pull-up jumper to open the final stanza of regulation, Gallagher drew Upstate within one to begin the quarter, fashioning a 7-0 Spartan run. Following a pair of Lancer free throws, Kierscht canned another trey, tying the game at 37 with 7:43 to play.
Longwood responded to the deadlock with a 9-2 scoring stretch, seeing a Gallagher jumper as the lone non-Lancer points in the stretch. The Spartans' retort came in the form of a 9-0 scoring run, its longest of the afternoon, delivering the lead with 46 seconds to play in regulation. Longwood, with 29 seconds to play, knotted the game, sending it to overtime.

First Overtime

Wrestling back momentum in its favor, Upstate jumped out of the gates in the first overtime period, notching the first five points behind a Kierscht triple and a Palmore jumper. Gallagher followed a Longwood free throw with a jumper of her own, building the Spartans a six-point advantage, their largest of the day.
Longwood answered with a 6-0 scoring run to regain the lead before another Gallagher jumper put it back in the hands of Upstate. A Lancer free throw with 22 seconds remaining tied the game once again, forcing another extra frame.

Second Overtime

Striking first for the second consecutive extra period, Upstate notched the first four markers, the biggest shot a triple from in front of the Spartans' bench from Gallagher. Longwood followed with six of the next eight markers, knotting the game at 63 with 45 seconds to play.
Delivering the knockout blow, Palmore knocked down a jumper from the lane with 23 seconds to play, putting the Spartans in front. Upstate weathered a Longwood flurry in the final seconds, earning the win.

Notable

Heading to double overtime against the Lancers, Upstate played its first double-overtime contest since Feb. 1, 2020, versus Campbell. The double-overtime win versus Longwood is the first double-overtime win for the Spartans since downing UNC Pembroke on Feb. 4, 1995.
Corralling 59 rebounds, the team's total Saturday marks the program's highest single-game total versus a Division I opponent, besting its 56 rebounds against Campbell on Feb. 1, 2020.
Following its 52 rebounds versus Radford Wednesday, Upstate recorded 50-plus rebounds in consecutive games against Division I opponents since Feb. 1, 2010, versus Jacksonville (55) and Feb. 6, 2010, versus Kennesaw State (53).

Up Next for the Spartans
Wrapping its final homestand of the season, Upstate welcomes regional rival Gardner-Webb to the G.B. Hodge Center Wednesday for a 7 p.m. ET tilt.

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