USC Upstate handles Southern Wesleyan for second win of season

Mister Dean scored 21 as USC Upstate exploded in second half to defeat Southern Wesleyan. (Photo by Sasa Groome/USC Upstate Athletics)

By Justin Mathis (@J_Math23)

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – After a sluggish first half in Tuesday’s non-conference tilt against Southern Wesleyan, USC Upstate needed a jolt.

 

Enter Mister Dean.

 

On a fast break early in the second half, Dean caught a pass from Brit Harris, made one dribble, and took off from near the free throw line for an electrifying dunk over a defender, which drew the Spartan bench and faithful to their feet at the Hodge Center. That proved to be a big spark—and Tuesday's top play on the SportsCenter countdown—as Upstate cruised to a 95-63 victory over the Warriors.

 

In the first half, Southern Wesleyan capitalized on some Upstate miscues, using 10 points off turnovers to build a two-possession lead with just over six minutes left in the frame. However, Upstate continued to battle, especially on the defensive end of the floor.

 

A Breylin Garcia jumper and back-to-back threes from Dean and Karmani Gregory put the Spartans ahead, 34-31, with 3:15 left in the half. Following a lead change, a personal 6-0 run by Gregory, along with a Harris three to beat the horn, created a 43-39 Upstate lead at the interval.

 

“If you don’t guard, you can’t win,” said Upstate head coach Marty Richter. “Our guys don’t understand that (yet) because they don’t understand college basketball really well. This would have turned into a nail-biter if we didn’t start guarding in the second half.”

 

The Spartans used a 10-2 run out of the break to build an eight-point lead just over two minutes into the second stanza, which featured a Gregory-to-Harris connection on an inbound pass. Over the next 10-plus minutes, Upstate emphatically imposed its will.

 

Adkins drained a triple, Isaiah Skinner buried a jumper, and Dean went coast-to-coast for a throwdown, while Chico Johnson swished a triple on consecutive trips up the floor, all part of a staggering 31-7 run for Upstate.

 

“With eight minutes left, they were 5-of-22 (shooting in the half),” recalled Richter. “We have to train them on how to defend. If we can defend, we can get down that floor so fast and get some layups. I was really proud of them for how they started the game and how they flipped the switch to come out in the second half.” 

 

Nic Book also added a basket and two free throws of his own, while Andrew McConnell buried a triple as part of a 7-1 burst to close the game for the Spartans.

 

Five Spartans finished in double-figures, led by Dean with a game-high 21 points and career-high nine rebounds. Gregory tallied 15 points and three assists, while Harris notched 12 points, six assists, and five rebounds. Adkins and Johnson also tallied 12 points apiece. 

 

“(Karmani) is so quick,” Richter stated. “He can change direction with the best of them and can make really good decisions once he gets into the change-of-direction downhill. His upside at lead guard is really good. (Dean) sparks runs because he will make a dynamic dunk, rebound, or do something on the offensive end. He brings energy with how he scores the basketball. He can score in bunches like he did tonight and does a good job of that within the system.”

 

As a team, Upstate was 32-for-64 from the floor and outscored SWU 44-26 in the paint, 21-5 in second chance points, and 16-6 on fast breaks.

 

“If we defend like the way we did in the second half, we are going to have an opportunity to win (Friday and Saturday). In the other road games we played, we didn’t defend. We traded baskets and were right there with all of them at different times in the games, but we can’t just trade baskets.”

 

The Spartans (2-4) will hit the road for a four-game trip, beginning with a multi-team event this weekend against East Tennessee State Friday and Queens University Saturday. After that, Upstate will travel to Iowa (November 26 and Coastal Carolina (November 30).