Nov. 20, 2009

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SPARTANBURG, S.C. - While the USC Upstate women's basketball team will look to bounce back after loss at No. 12 Virginia on Saturday at 3 p.m. against Indiana State, it will face a stiff test in one of the best mid-major programs in the sport in the Sycamores.

While Indiana State is an established Division I program that has earned three bids to the Women's NIT and earned three WBCA Academic Excellence Awards, USC Upstate is an upstart in just its third year of Division I play. One of the most improved teams in the country in 2008-09, the Spartans will look to nab a piece of the mid-major spotlight with a win over the traditionally strong Sycamores.

The similarities also abound, as Upstate and Indiana State are both led by undersized senior guards who each crossed the 1,000-point mark in the first game of their final campaigns. For Upstate (2-1), it is Courtney Hawkins, who finds herself amongst A-Sun leaders in five categories and who has scored 1,029 points in her career. For Indiana State (2-1), it is Kelsey Luna, who is averaging 27.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.5 steals and 3.5 assists per game through Indiana State's first two games. She has 1,036 career points.

Spartan Notes
• The Spartans are 1-6 all-time on Nov. 18, last falling to IUPUI, 65-56, in 2007.

• Upstate is 8-5 in the D-I era (since 2007) in the month of November.

• Upstate is 4-5 all-time in games after it gave up 100 points.

• Junior Chelsea McMillan is four points away from becoming the 52nd player in school history to reach 400 in her career.

• Junior Chelsea McMillan is three blocks away from becoming the sixth player to reach 50 in an Upstate career.

• Senior Courtney Hawkins has posted 48 career double-digit scoring efforts.

• Junior Sharniece Wadelington posted six points and five rebounds at Virginia.

• Freshman Morgan Goss posted her first career field goals by hitting two 3-pointers at Virginia.

• Three Upstate players (Sharniece Wadelington, Lauren McRoberts and Tee'Ara Copney) are averaging at least 5.0 points per game off the bench.

• Upstate is 1-1 all-time against teams from Indiana and has never played a team from the Missouri Valley Conference.

Big Time Opponent, No Problem
Big-conference opponents bring the best out in junior Chelsea McMillan. In three career games against schools from either the Southeastern Conference or Atlantic Coast Conference, the 6-0 forward has averaged 12.0 points and nine rebounds. Against South Carolina on Dec. 16, 2008, McMillan posted 16 points and eight rebounds and against Virginia Tech on Feb. 2, 2009, she added six points and eight rebounds. She improved those totals against No. 12/17 Virginia on Nov. 18, 2009, as she picked up her eighth career double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Shooters All
Through the first three games, the Spartan backcourt has shown little fear in stepping back to shoot the three. In fact, five of the players, led by sophomore Kendra Wallace have hit two treys in at least one game. Wallace hit three trifectas against North Greenville and added two at Virginia. Senior Courtney Hawkins and freshman Tee'Ara Copney each added two against Longwood and sophomore Lesley Daniel and freshman Morgan Goss each connected twice at Virginia.

The Magic Number
When USC Upstate scores more than 70 points for head coach Tammy George, the Spartans have won more than 70 percent of the time in the D-I era. Upstate is 11-4 (.733) in games in which it reaches 70 points, including both its wins during the 2009-10 campaign. Upstate was 7-3 when scoring more than 70 points in 2008-09 and the team has lost just once in the D-I era when scoring 80 or more points.

The Sycamore Link
USC Upstate Chancellor John C. Stockwell is very familiar with Indiana State, having spent seven years at the school as a professor and the chair of the Department of Speech and Theater at the University. In fact, Stockwell was the professor for the most famous basketball alumni in the school's history, as he taught NBA Hall of Famer Larry Bird in speech communications. Dr. Stockwell, who worked at Indiana State from 1974-81, has worked as the Chancellor of Upstate since 1994.