Upstate returns home, crushes Brevard

Mister Dean’s first-half dunk was one of many highlights in USC Upstate’s win Wednesday. (Photo by USC Upstate Athletics)

By Justin Mathis (@J_Math23)

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — After a four-game road trip over the last two weeks, USC Upstate returned to 800 University Way Wednesday for a non-conference matchup against the Brevard College Tornados. On this night, the Spartans went wire-to-wire and blew away Brevard by a final tally of 91-60 at the Hodge Center.

 

“Oh, it was nice,” exclaimed head coach Marty Richter about the team’s first home game since November 19. “College basketball is tough when you go on the road. When you come back home, a ball goes in easier, guys make more plays for each other, and get the home crowd behind you, which was really good tonight. It is just nice to be in your own confines sometimes.”

 

A Karmani Gregory triple from the right corner broke the seal on the game 18 seconds in, staking Upstate to an early lead. Carmelo Adkins drained a 3-pointer shortly after that, while Mister Dean added four quick points featuring a thunderous throwdown on a fast break.

 

A trio of Spartans—Brit Harris, Chico Johnson, and Andrew McConnell—also got in on the action with baskets of their own in the first nine-plus minutes, which added up to a 24-9 Spartan lead at the 10:50 mark of the first half. Adkins later added a personal 5-0 burst, while Isaiah Skinner got his name in the scorebook with a hook shot as the Spartans took a 46-25 advantage into the interval.

 

“We did a good job of sharing the ball and not having selfish moments,” Richter stated. “That is important in this game. We had five or six double-figure scorers and guys were just able to share the ball. I wish we had a few more assists. But sometimes when you play a team like (Brevard) where they are switching on everything, you get more drives where it is not going to lead from an assist.”

 

Nic Book notched the first points of the second stanza at the 18:34 mark with a layup before adding a hook shot less than a minute later. A few moments later, McConnell and Adkins combined for three shots from the arc in as many possessions over a 75-second span, which pushed the Spartan lead to 70-41 at the 10:22 mark. 

 

Richter raved about the time that Adkins has put in since arriving on campus.

 

“From the day (Adkins) got here in June, he has been a consummate pro,” he said. “His production matches what it should be. He shows up every day and works. He shows up every day and shoots. Defensively, he is terrific. He guards the other team’s best players, knows how to get through screens, already understands help-side defense, and defensive concepts as a freshman way beyond his years. On the offensive side, the game has started to slow down for him, so now his production is even better.”

 

Daniel Helterhoff knocked down two quick shots from close range and scored six of Upstate’s final 12 points, while CJ Rich closed out the scoring with a driving layup that provided the final margin in Upstate’s win.

 

The Spartans return to action on Saturday, as they face Tim Craft and Western Carolina in a 2 p.m. tipoff. After that contest, Upstate will make the 90-minute ride down Interstate 26 on December 14 for a 2 p.m. showdown with South Carolina.