Jan. 5, 2008

Final Stats

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - Career-highs of 13 points each from freshman Kasey Thompson (Marion, Ind./Marion) and junior Cherale Powell (Wilkesboro, N.C./Wilkesboro) for the USC Upstate women's basketball team were spoiled by a hot-shooting East Tennessee State on Saturday afternoon at the Memorial Center, as the Lady Bucs shot 46 percent from the field en route to a 96-55 win in the Atlantic Sun Conference opener for both squads.

"I thought we'd come out and play harder," Upstate head coach Tammy George said. "This is one of the best teams in the Atlantic Sun and we got a wake up call (Saturday). We can't give a team like ETSU that many open looks."

The Spartans (4-8, 0-1 A-Sun) shot 52 percent (14-for-27) in the second half, but a solid ETSU (5-7, 1-0) was able to shoot 57 percent in the first half to build an insurmountable 35-point lead. Thompson and Powell each had strong second halves en route to their career highs. Thompson hit all three of her 3-pointers and added a steal and an assist. Powell posted 12 second-half points and added a steal and a rebound.

In the second half, the Spartan offense clicked in spurts, with Thompson hitting back-to-back 3-pointers with nine minutes remaining. The Spartan forward scored 10 straight points in the half for Upstate. Powell finished the game by scoring the last 10 points of the game for the Spartans.

The Lady Buc shooters came out red-hot, hitting four 3-pointers in the first 4:08, including three from Michele DeVault, forcing two Upstate timeouts and taking a 18-3 before the first official timeout. The Bucs were able to keep the hot start, shooting a hefty 56.8 percent (21-for-37) and hitting 86 percent of their 3-pointers (6-for-7) to grow the lead to 54-19 at the half.

The Spartans were led by sophomore Courtney Hawkins (Greer, S.C./Greer), who had nine points in the first half. DeVault posted nine points on a perfect 3-for-3 from long distance to lead the Bucs and Sabrina Treakle and Latisha Belcher added eight and seven points, respectively.

Six Lady Bucs finished in double figures, with Kelly Turman leading the team with 14 points, Devin Thompson notching 12, DeVault, Belcher and Treakle adding 11 and Brittany Daniels finishing with 10.

The Spartans did get one of the most productive games of the season from their bench, with freshman Kimberly Pitman (Avery, N.C./Avery) posted a career-high seven rebounds and tied career highs with two points and a blocked shot. Freshman Tara Tranum (Bluff City, Tenn./Tennessee) added a career-high four points.

Junior Courtney Bradley (Columbia, S.C./Dutch Fork) posted three points, three assists, three steals and a block. Her third assist gives her 310 in her career, moving her into fourth in the school's record book, moving past Marlene Riley (1984-88), who had 309.

The Spartans wrap up their three-game, three-state road trip on Tuesday with a 7 p.m. game at their third Big South opponent of the season, UNC Asheville.

Notes
The Spartans are 3-6 all-time on Jan. 5.

Upstate is 4-22 all-time against teams from Tennessee and 1-12 all-time in the Volunteer State.

Sophomore Courtney Hawkins hit her 20th 3-pointer of the season with her second connection in the first half.

Junior Courtney Bradley posted her first blocked shot at the Division I level, swatting a shot with 13:00 left in the second half.