Dec. 06, 2014
Final Stats | Quotes | Notes | Photo Gallery
ATLANTA (AP) – Senior guard Ty Greene scored 13 of his game-high 16 points in the second half and USC Upstate stretched its winning streak against ACC schools to two with a 59-54 win Saturday at Georgia Tech.
The Spartans (8-2), from Spartanburg, S.C., lost their first seven all-time games to ACC teams before beating Virginia Tech 64-63 last season, and the Yellow Jackets (6-2) in McCamish Pavilion.
Upstate shot just 30.2 percent (16 for 53), but cashed in on 17 turnovers by Georgia Tech, and made 10 of 26 3-point shots.
The game was tied at 28 at halftime, and the Yellow Jackets led much of the second half before the Spartans took a 49-48 lead when ShunQuez Stephens made two free throws with 4:07 left in the game. Upstate led rest of the way.
The Yellow Jackets were led by reserve guard Chris Bolden, who had season highs of 10 points, four rebounds and four assists. Georgia Tech made 3 of 21 3-pointers.
After a 28-all halftime, the Spartans took the lead twice early in the second half, each time on 3-pointers, before the Yellow Jackets went in front for nearly 10 minutes.
Upstate went up 49-48 on the free throws Stephens with 4:03 left in the game and streteched the lead to 52-48 on a three-point play by Greene moments later.
Josh Heath dropped in a floater to pull within 52-50 but Georgia Tech drew no closer.
Georgia Tech appeared ready to run away with the game when the Yellow Jackets went on a 14-0 run to take an 18-7 lead on Tadric Jackson’s jumper with 11:25 remaining in the first half.
The Spartans had other ideas, and scored 15 of their next 16 points on 3-pointers – including four by reserve Josh Cuthbertson. Upstate entered the game having made the third-most 3-pointers in the nation with 85.
Beyond Upstate making 6 of 14 long balls, the first half was slow offensively for both teams.
Georgia Tech shot just 33.3 percent (9 for 27), missed 10 of 12 3-point tries, scored just one second-chance point despite taking six offensive rebounds (Upstate scored seven on four offensive rebounds), and the Yellow Jackets turned the ball over 10 times.
Upstate shot 29.6 percent (8 for 27), scored just two points in the paint, and missed 11 of 13 shots inside the arc.
Soon after Georgia Tech junior forward Charles Mitchell committed his third turnover of the half, Upstate tied the game at 25 on a pair of free throws by Stephens with 2:53 remaining.
The Spartans’ only points in the paint came as Michael Buchanan’s layup with 17 seconds to go in the half brought a 28-28 tie that held up to halftime.
TIP-INS
USC Upstate: The Spartans’ bench was outscored for the first time all season as Georgia Tech’s reserves had a 26-21 edge.
Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets had a season-high 10 made 3-pointers.
UP NEXT
USC Upstate visits Maryland on Saturday.
Georgia Tech will play host to Appalachian State on Dec. 15.
