Jan. 15, 2008

Big South The Edge Video Streaming
Complete Winthrop Game Notes in PDF Format

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The USC Upstate women's basketball team will take the floor with its fourth Big South Conference opponent of the year on Wednesday when it travels to Winthrop for a 7 p.m. game.

Upstate, which enters the game at 4-11, will look to end its non-conference season on a positive note and snap a five-game skid. Sophomore Courtney Hawkins leads the Spartans on the offensive end, as the 5-4 guard is seventh in the Atlantic Sun, averaging 13.1 points per game. Junior guard Ebony Johnson leads the Spartans on the glass, averaging 7.8 rebounds per game, which is fourth in the league.

The Lady Eagles enter the game at 10-6 overall and have won two in a row, with a 76-52 win over Converse on Saturday and a 69-60 win over Longwood on Jan. 9.

The Lady Eagles are led by Ashley Fann, who averages 12.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. She also leads the team with 23 steals. Tiffany Rodd averages 11.0 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. Point guard Yvonne Van Daalan adds 5.9 points and 4.4 assists per game.

The Eagles lead the series with the Spartans, 9-5, although the last game took place nearly 10 years ago, during the 1998-99 season, with Winthrop winning 76-57.

Spartan Notables
• The Spartans are 3-6 all-time on Jan. 16, last dropping an 83-74 decision at UNC Pembroke in 2002.
• Upstate and Winthrop are old rivals from the NAIA District Six and both schools affiliation in the SCAIAW, with Winthrop leading the series 9-5.
• Sophomore Courtney Hawkins needs 17 points to reach 400 in her collegiate career.
• Junior Ebony Johnson needs nine rebounds to become the 27th player in school history to reach 300 in a career.
• Junior Cherale Powell has posted offensive career highs in four of the last six games, last posting 18 points against Gardner-Webb.
• Junior Ebony Johnson needs one blocked shot to become the 11th player in school history to reach 25 in a career.
• Junior Courtney Bradley became the 19th player in school history to reach 100 career steals against Gardner-Webb.
• The Spartans currently have the Atlantic Sun's top single-game performances in scoring (Courtney Hawkins, 30), rebounding (Ebony Johnson, 20) and assists (Courtney Bradley, 9).
• Head coach Tammy George enters tonight's game looking for her 75th win in her fifth season as a head coach.
• Freshman Kasey Thompson has been dismissed from the team.