Monday, December 24, 2007

MACON, Ga. - USC Upstate spent the week in Texas with games at Southern Methodist and two in El Paso as part of the Sun Bowl Classic. The trip proved fruitful as the Spartans return home with their first win ever against a Division I opponent and, on the individual side, senior guard Luke Payne earned the first Atlantic Sun Player of the Week award in program history, the conference office announced on Monday.

Payne had an exceptional week in leading USC Upstate to its first win over a Division I opponent and earning All-Tournament honors at the State Farm Sun Bowl Tournament. Payne, a business major, started the week with 19 points, three assists and three steals to lead USC Upstate to a 58-56 win at SMU. Payne scored 13 of his game-high points in the second half on 6-for-11 shooting in those final 20 minutes. His layup with 2:50 remaining in the contest gave the Spartans their first lead of the second half; his jump shot a minute later capped an 18-0 run that turned a 52-38 deficit into a four-point lead late in the game.

Three days later, Payne finished with 11 points, five assists, four rebounds and two steals in the loss at UTEP in the first round of the State Farm Sun Bowl Tournament. Against Buffalo in the consolation game of the Sun Bowl tourney, he scored a career-high 26 points, including nine straight to get the Spartans within striking distance in the second half. He added five rebounds and three assists in the contest.

Payne averaged 18.5 PPG and 4.5 RPG in the tournament and 18.7 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 3.7 APG and 2.0 SPG for the week. Payne ranks fifth in the Atlantic Sun in scoring at 16.2 PPG and his 31 3-pt field goals rank second in the league.

The Atlantic Sun Conference is a 12-member league committed to Building Winners for Life, with a focus on academic and athletic integrity and a balance between the two for the student-athlete, and maintaining a high level of sportsmanship. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun encompasses six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun consists of some of the most dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Gardner-Webb University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.

Other Top Performers

Justin Hare, BEL (Sr. – G – Cleveland, Tenn. – Exercise Science/Health Promotion) – Averaged 21.0 PPG as Bruins defeated Tennessee State and lost to Austin Peay; Scored game-high 23 points on 9-for-18 and added six assists in the 82-71 win vs the Tigers; Added 19 points on 7-for-11 vs Austin Peay.

Courtney Pigram, ETSU (Jr. – G – Memphis, Tenn. – Sports Management) – Averaged 17 points, dished out eight assists and picked up five steals in three games for ETSU at the Rainbow Classic; Scored game-high 18 points in the Bucs' win vs SEC foe Georgia, the Bucs first win over an SEC team since 1991.

Jonathan Rodriguez, CAM (So. – F – Miami – Sport Management) – The reigning Player of the Week scored 29 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the Camels’ 69-64 win vs Norfolk State for his fourth straight double-double and eighth in nine games; averaging 28.3 PPG, 12.8 RPG in December.