CLINTON, S.C. – "I shall prepare so when called upon, I am ready."
 
The mantra embodied by the USC Upstate women's basketball team, allowing it to fight through adversity and withstand and turn away a second-half comeback attempt from Presbyterian, ultimately coming away with a 70-63 road victory Wednesday evening. The win completes the season sweep for the Spartans over the Blue Hose and marks the first road win for the Spartans at the Templeton Center since Feb. 16, 2023.
 
For the first time since the team's opening league contest on Dec. 31, 2025, Upstate found itself with three double-figure scorers at game's end as redshirt sophomore guard Cassie Gallgher, redshirt junior guard Aubrie Kierscht, and graduate student forward Aijah Palmore tabbed 25, 12, and 10 points, respectively.
 
For Gallagher, the game stands as her seventh 20-plus point scoring effort of the campaign, the most in a single season since Chellia Watson tallied 10 such games during the 2021-22 season. She finished the evening 9-of-17 from the field and 3-of-6 from three, shooting 50.0 percent or better from both ranges for the seventh time this season.
 
As a team, Upstate closed the night shooting 53.5 percent (23-of-43) from the field, its highest field goal percentage against a Division I foe this season and second-best field goal percentage overall.
 
Heading a +18 margin on the boards—the second-best margin by the Spartans against a Division I team this season—redshirt junior Vera Söderblom corralled a career-best 16 rebounds. She's the first Spartan to notch a 15-plus rebound game this season, securing the first by a Spartan in a Big South game since Feb. 23, 2022. Ending the night just shy of a double-double, Palmore pulled in eight boards.
 
Game Information
Score: USC Upstate 70; Presbyterian 63
Records: USC Upstate (7-17; 2-8 Big South); Presbyterian (3-20; 1-9 Big South)
Location: Templeton Center | Clinton, S.C.
 
How It Happened
First Quarter

• Taking the opening tap, Upstate opened the night's scoring on its first possession behind a Cassie Gallagher jumper from the baseline. Gwen Jenkins and Gallagher followed with jumpers, building a 6-0 scoring run for the Spartans to begin the night.
• A pair of Presbyterian baskets bookended an Aijah Palmore layup following the Spartans' first run. Upstate countered with an 8-0 scoring run to outscore its opponent 16-4 over the game's first seven minutes.
• Building off their 8-0 scoring run, the Spartans closed the frame outscoring the Blue Hose 13-2. Upstate wrapped the period with five straight markers from the free throw line, including four makes from Palmore.

Second Quarter

• A traditional three-point play from Presbyterian began the new quarter, snapping the Spartans' scoring run. However, Upstate responded with the next five markers, three from Gallagher and two from Aubrie Kierscht.
• The two sides traded buckets heading into the media timeout brought about by an errant fire alarm inside the Templeton Center. Presbyterian reeled off five straight points out of the stoppage before a tough finish and subsequent free throw from Kinley Paterson ended the stretch.
• The Blue Hose followed Paterson's three points with the next four markers. A Kierscht triple snuffed the chance at a scoring run. Palmore closed the half as with a putback at the buzzer.

Third Quarter

• Out of the halftime locker room, Presbyterian marked the first three points of the second half ahead of a Kierscht three for the Spartans. The Blue Hose followed with the next three markers, staking a 6-3 run to begin the half.
• Cassie Gallagher tallied the next five points for the Spartans, knocking down a trey and a pull-up jumper for the individual scoring run. Presbyterian answered with a 6-0 scoring run, trimming Upstate's advantage to 10 before a Kierscht bucket clipped the run.
• Cutting the Upstate advantage to two and getting the deficit back to single digits for the first time since the 4:15 mark of the first quarter, the Blue Hose answered with a 10-0 scoring run, its longest of the night. A pair of Vera Söderblom free throws snapped the run and pushed Upstate's advantage to four into the final period.

Fourth Quarter

• Presbyterian began the final frame with four straight points, tying the game with 8:17 to play, the game's lone tie. Upstate rebuilt its lead with four points of its own, free throws from Söderblom and a jumper from Gallagher.
• A pair of Blue Hose free throws cut the advantage back to two, but the Spartans answered with the next four points, a Zoe Richardson jumper and two Gallagher free throws. Upstate lengthened its advantage in the fourth quarter as it held the Blue Hose without a field goal for eight minutes of game action, ending the night with a seven-point victory.

 
Notable

• Pulling in 41 rebounds to Presbyterian's 23, Upstate secured a +18 mark on the glass, the team's largest rebounding margin in a Big South game this season and its second-largest rebounding margin versus a Division I opponent since besting Western Carolina by a +22 mark on Dec. 3, 2025.
• The Spartans' +18 rebounding margin marks its largest rebounding margin win in a Big South Conference game since March 1, 2025, when Upstate outrebounded Longwood by 17 boards.
• Corralling 16 rebounds for the Spartans, Vera Söderblom notched the first 15-plus rebounding game by a Spartan this season, the first such game by a Spartan since Rebekah Gordon pulled in 23 boards versus Clinton College on Nov. 25, 2024. Söderblom's total marks the highest single-game rebounding total by a Spartan in a league game since Jada Logan tallied 17 rebounds versus Longwood on Feb. 23, 2022.

 
Up Next for the Spartans
Following the team's final bye of Big South Conference play Saturday, USC Upstate concludes its two-game road swing next Wednesday with a trip to Winthrop. The Spartans and Eagles face a 6:00 p.m. ET tip.
 
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