Friday, February 26, 2010

SPARtANBURG, S.C. - The final weekend at the 36-year-old Hodge Center before a $4 million renovation starts is off and running. Just like the USC Upstate women's basketball team. A 49-point second half that included 15 points from senior Koko Richardson (Mary Esther, Fla./Santa Fe C.C.) and 10 points and six assists from sophomore Lesley Daniel (Collinwood, Tenn./Collinwood) led the Spartans to one of the biggest upsets in the building's history, as Upstate downed defending A-Sun champion, Florida Gulf Coast University, 86-78, on Thursday night, critically wounding FGCU's hopes for a repeat.

"It was just a great team win," Upstate head coach Tammy George said. "They came out from the get-go and played 40 minutes (Thursday). That's probably the first time we came out and played 40 minutes of an all-our pressure defense. I can't be more proud of this team and how they responded after a big loss at ETSU."

For Upstate (19-9 overall, 13-6 A-Sun), the win gives it one more notch on a resume that could help it earn a WNIT bid. At the least, the win gives the Spartans a guaranteed third-place finish in the A-Sun and a chance to finish the regular-season with 20 wins for the first time since 1994-95, when the then-Lady Rifles went 25-6.

"I don't even know how to explain it," senior Courtney Hawkins said. "We played with heart and we really wanted to win. I'm excited. We're all excited. We picked our intensity and effort up. We stuck together and we played hard no matter what."

For FGCU (22-6 overall, 17-3 A-Sun), the loss takes them out of first place in the A-Sun for the first time this season, as ETSU, with a 68-58 win over UNF, improved to 17-2 in the conference. If ETSU beats Jacksonville on Saturday, the Lady Bucs will win the A-Sun's regular season crown.