Spartanburg, S.C. – Winthrop opened both 2025 and Big South play by downing USC Upstate Thursday night.
Winthrop (7-7, 1-0 Big South) | USC Upstate (3-11, 0-1 Big South)
Jan. 2, 2025 | G.B. Hodge Center
Winthrop 63, USC Upstate 54
How it Happened
First Quarter | The Eagles jumped out to an early 10-4 lead at the 6:09 mark after two
Leonor Paisana triples and two baskets down low by
Marissa Gasaway. Defensively Winthrop also held Upstate scoreless for nearly four minutes. The Spartans then scored five quick points to cut it to one with three minutes left but the Eagles responded with a 9-0 run over the final three minutes of the frame to take a 19-9 lead entering the second quarter.
Second Quarter | The Eagles picked up right where they left off, this time going on a 19-8 run to take a 21-point lead at 38-17 after a basket by
Ciara Harris with 2:41 remaining in the half.
Olivia Wagner scored 10 of the Eagle points during the run. Upstate answered with eight straight points to cut it to 38-25 inside of a minute but two Paisana free throws put Winthrop up 15 at 40-25 at the half.
Third Quarter | Another Harris triple three minutes into the quarter put Winthrop 18 at 45-28. The Eagles would go scoreless for six minutes but the Winthrop defense would also stymie the Spartan offense during that stretch, holding Upstate to only five points.
Amourie Porter's pull-up jumper at the 1:12 mark ended the scoring drought for the Eagles and gave her team a 47-33 lead. The Spartans wrapped up the quarter with two free throws, making the score 47-35 at the end of 30 minutes of play.
Fourth Quarter | Both teams alternated baskets in the first three minutes of the quarter, leaving Winthrop up 53-41. A three-pointer by the Spartans made it a nine-point game with six minutes left but Gasaway's step back jumper at the 4:44 mark put the Eagles back up double digits at 55-44 while also holding Upstate scoreless for more than three minutes. Then Harris's layup gave Winthrop a 57-44 lead with 3:09 to go. Upstate would cut it to eight at 59-51 with 1:28 left by scoring seven of the next nine points but the two teams ended the scoring with a combined seven free throws to account for the final margin.
Statistical Standouts (Team)
- Winthrop moves to 619-914 all-time as a program
- Winthrop moves to 212-375 all-time in Big South games
- This is the second straight year that Winthrop opened Big South play with a victory
- This is Winthrop's third straight win in Spartanburg
- Paisana is currently seventh in school history in career triples made (110)
- Paisana is also five assists away from moving into a tie for 10th in school history in assists (currently has 297)
- Wagner's six assists were a career-high
- Winthrop shot 46% from the field in both the second and fourth quarter
- Three Eagles grabbed five or more rebounds
- Three Eagles scored in double figures
Statistical Standouts (Individual)
Olivia Wagner (33 min, 6 assists, 14 points)
Leonor Paisana (29 min, 3 three-pointers, 7 rebounds, 12 points)
Marissa Gasaway (28 min, 9 rebounds, 8 points)
Ciara Harris (18 min, 10 points)
Up Next
Winthrop welcomes the Radford Highlanders for the Big South home opener on Saturday, Jan. 4 at 2:00 p.m.
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