Women's Basketball Hosts Gardner-Webb and Mental Health Awareness Game in Season's Final Home Game

Wednesday, February 25

Spartanburg, S.C.

7:00 p.m.

University of South Carolina Upstate Athletics

Gardner-Webb

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Aijah Palmore & Kinley Paterson Pregame vs. Longwood 2026 - CH

Photo by: Catherine Harney

2/24/2026 6:13:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Home for the final time during the 2025-26 campaign, facing its penultimate game of the regular season, USC Upstate women's basketball looks to build upon its hot streak, winners of four of its past five games, as it welcomes Gardner-Webb to the G.B. Hodge Center Wednesday evening.

Wednesday's game is the Spartans' Mental Health Awareness game, a joint venture between USC Upstate and Mental Health America of Spartanburg County. Mental Health America is the nation's leading national nonprofit dedicated to the promotion of mental health, well-being, and condition prevention. Earlier this season, USC Upstate redshirt freshman forward Madison Miller won the Mental Health Young Adult Advocate Award presented by Mental Health America of Spartanburg County after publishing her book, My Teenage Experience, last summer.

Wednesday's Matchup
February 25, 2026 | 7:00 p.m. ET
USC Upstate (10-18; 5-9 Big South) vs. Gardner-Webb (11-17; 8-6 Big South)
G.B. Hodge Center | Spartanburg, S.C.

TV: ESPN+ | Via WatchESPN.com or the ESPN App
Weekly Coaches Interview: Catch head coach Jason Williams weekly on Fox Sports Spartanburg every Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. ET.

How They Stack Up
Records: USC Upstate (10-18; 5-9 Big South); Gardner-Webb (11-17; 8-6 Big South)
Series: Gardner-Webb leads 13-5
Last Five Meetings: Jan. 10, 2026 (GWU 64; UPST 61); Feb. 15, 2025 (UPST 68; GWU 59); Jan. 18, 2025 (GWU 79; UPST 73); Feb. 17, 2024 (UPST 73; GWU 56); Jan. 27, 2024 (UPST 78; GWU 59)

Players to Watch
USC Upstate: Tying for the Spartans' scoring lead in their wins over Radford and Longwood, redshirt sophomore guard Cassie Gallagher earned her second career Big South Player of the Week nod. She's the first Spartan since Upstate joined the league ahead of the 2018-19 season to earn multiple such honors, as she averaged 13.5 points in Upstate's wins over the two clubs sitting second in the league standings. Gallagher enters Wednesday's game ranked fourth in the conference in scoring, averaging 15.8 points per contest.

Gardner-Webb: Scoring in double-figures in six of her past seven games, junior guard Amina Gray paces the Runnin' Bulldogs in scoring, averaging 12.3 points per game. Leading her squad with 71 three-pointers this season, shooting 36.0 percent from beyond the arc, ranking third and fourth, respectively, in the Big South in the two categories. Gray complements her scoring and shooting with 79 rebounds, 39 steals, 28 assists, and two blocks.

Up Next for the Spartans
Closing the regular season, Upstate travels to the Triad for a meeting with High Point. The Spartans and Panthers tip off Saturday at 2 p.m. ET.

Connect with the Spartans
Facebook.com/UpstateAthletics
Twitter | @UpstateWBB | @UpstateSpartans
Instagram | @UpstateWBB | @UpstateSpartans
YouTube.com/UpstateSpartans

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