CHARLESTON, S.C. - USC Upstate took advantage of a huge third quarter swing as Charleston Southern fell to the visiting Spartans on Tuesday night inside the Buccaneer Field House, 71-64.

The Spartans (8-15, 3-11 Big South) outscored the Bucs 24-10 over the 10-minute period to take advantage of the game early in the second half. USC Upstate went on a 15-0 run over a four-minute stretch to take a double-digit lead with 2:20 remaining in the quarter following back-to-back layups by Riley Popplewell and Anda Kuzmina to put the Spartans ahead 46-35.

The Bucs (3-20, 1-13) cut the lead down to one possession on several occasions in the fourth quarter with Kelsie Ruff's three-pointer narrowing the gap down to two points at 59-57 with 3:27 remaining. Brianna Lewis and Michaela Gibbons answered with back-to-back shots in the paint to stretch the Upstate lead back out to six points with 1:22 remaining.

The Spartans secured the win from the free throw line with Upstate going 8-of-12 from the charity stripe down the stretch. Ahlea Myers put in the final basket of the game with a layup just in front of the buzzer to provide the final 71-64 margin.

Tyra Wright and Tierra Steede both posted double-doubles for the Buccaneers on Tuesday night to pace four Buccaneers who scored double-digits in the loss. Wright posted 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Steede added 10 points and 10 boards in the loss. Sharita Godfrey led the Bucs with 14 points in the game, while Kelsie Ruff chipped in 10 on 4-of-10 shooting in the game.

Riley Popplewell led all scorers with 21 points and added 18 rebounds as Upstate secured the season sweep over CSU. Brianna Lewis added 20 points and four assists, while Anda Kuzmina chipped in 14 points in the win.
 
First Quarter – Charleston Southern 13, USC Upstate 13
CSU built an early seven-point lead behind Kelsie Ruff's seven first-quarter points. The junior guard connected on an early three-pointer to put CSU ahead 7-2, before Steede converted a layup to put the Bucs ahead 9-2 with 4:29 remaining in the quarter. The Spartans ended the quarter on a six-point run with Lewis connecting on the final basket of the frame to leave it tied up at 13-13 after the first quarter.

Second Quarter – Charleston Southern 29, USC Upstate 24
Sharita Godfrey took over for the Bucs in the second quarter as the sophomore wing scored eight points over the 10-minute span. The Spartans led 22-17 with 4:50 left in the quarter following a pair of Popplewell free throws, before the Bucs went on a late 12-2 run to close out the half. Godfrey scored all eight of her points over the run, before Sha'Mya Leigh drove into the lane for a layup at the buzzer to send CSU into the break with the five-point lead.

Third Quarter – USC Upstate 48, Charleston Southern 39
The Bucs' lead sat at 35-31 with 7:55 remaining in the third quarter following a Godfrey jumper just outside the paint. From there, USC Upstate went on a 15-0 run on their way to building a 46-35 lead following Popplewell and Kuzmina's layups. Wright hit a pair of free throws to end the Spartans' run at the 2:02 mark and Steede added a layup to highlight CSU's scoring over the final two minutes of the quarter.

Fourth Quarter – USC Upstate 71, Charleston Southern 64
Tyra Wright scored 10 of CSU's 25 points in the fourth quarter as the Buccaneers attempted to mount a late rally against the Spartans. The Bucs cut the lead down to two points at the 3:27 mark in the fourth quarter as Ruff connected on a three-pointer from the corner. The Spartans followed with a pair of baskets and pulled away late from the free throw line in the Big South win.

Inside the Statistics

• Charleston Southern shot 35.7% (25-of-70) from the floor, 28.6% (6-of-21) from behind the three-point line, and 88.9% (8-of-9) from the free throw line in the loss.
• USC Upstate shot 35.7% (25-of-70) from the floor, 20.0% (5-of-25) from the three-point line, and 72.7% (16-of-22) from the free throw line in the win.
• Upstate held the 51-44 rebounding edge and the 18-11 advantage in second-chance points.
• The Bucs and Spartans tied with both sides scoring 26 points in the paint on Tuesday night.
• Upstate held the 19-17 edge in points off turnovers and the 11-6 advantage in fast-break points.
• Paced by Wright's 12 points, CSU won the points off the bench category, 16-8.

News & Notes

• Tyra Wright's 12-point, 10-rebound performance marked her first collegiate double-double.
• Tierra Steede's 10 points and 10 rebounds were good for her fourth double-double of the season.
• Steede's 10 rebounds was her fifth double-digit rebounding performance of the season.
• The Bucs have posted eight double-doubles as a team in the 2019-20 season.
• Tori Gittens stretched her three-point streak to five consecutive games with at least one three-pointer dating back to January 28 against Presbyterian.
• CSU's 88.9% free throw percentage marked the ninth time in the 2019-20 season the Bucs hit at least 80.0% of their shots from the charity stripe.

Up Next
Charleston Southern returns to the road on Saturday, February 15, as the Buccaneers make the trip to Clinton, S.C. to take on Presbyterian College. Tipoff inside the Templeton Center is set for 2 p.m. on ESPN+.