Blue Hose Overcome Nine-Point Halftime
Deficit;
Defeat USC Upstate 94-85
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Amy Jones (Warthen, Ga.) finished with a career-best 38 points and was 14-of-14 from the free throw line as Jones led Presbyterian College to a 94-85 victory over USC Upstate in non-conference women’s basketball action on Sunday afternoon in the Hodge Center.
With the win, the Blue Hose even their record at 5-5 as Presbyterian heads into the Christmas break. USC Upstate falls to 4-5 on the year. Presbyterian hosts USC Aiken on Dec. 29 at 7 p.m., while Upstate hosts the Allstate Insurance Women’s Basketball Classic Dec. 29-30 in the Hodge Center.
Though she scored 38 points, Jones played unselfish basketball. She dished out seven assists on the day, grabbed five rebounds, and came up with two steals. She made 12 of her 14 free throws in the final 1:15 to ice the game for Presbyterian.
Upstate opened a nine-point lead at halftime, but Presbyterian quickly turned the game around in the second half. Bridget Takach (Chapin, S.C.) nailed a three-pointer and Jones scored seven points in a 13-4 run to open the half as the Blue Hose tied the game at 55-55 with 16:37 left.
With the game tied at 57-57, Presbyterian got back-to-back three-pointers from Jessica Parris (Inman, S.C.) and Takach to open a six-point, 63-57, lead with 15:05 to play in the game. Ebony Johnson’s jumper cut the Blue Hose lead to 65-64 with 10:49 to play, but Presbyterian methodically increased the lead to six points with 6:51 to play.
After Kianna Smith converted 1-of-2 free throws to cut the Presbyterian lead to five, Jones nailed a three-pointer and Takach converted a bucket as the Blue Hose opened a 10-point, 80-70, lead with 4:25 to play in the game. Smith scored six straight points for the Spartans to help cut the Presbyterian lead to four points with 1:45 to play, but Jones’ perfection from the free throw line made the difference as the Blue Hose came away with the win.
Upstate looked in total control in the first half, shooting 44 percent from the field and opening a 51-42 lead at halftime. The Spartans led by as many as 11 points with three players in double figures at half.
For the game, Presbyterian shot 49 percent, including 55 percent from three-point land, and was 21-of-25 from the charity stripe. Upstate shot 41 percent from the floor, including just 2-of-12 from three-point land, and converted 25-of-34 from the free throw line.
Takach finished with a career-high 21 points, six rebounds, and five assists for Presbyterian. Morgan Johnson (Marietta, Ga.) added her sixth double-double of the season with 15 points and 13 rebounds.
Smith led Upstate with 21 points, six rebounds, and five assists. Danielle Edwards added 15 points, six rebounds, and five steals, while Shavon Thompson finished with 21 points. Ebony Johnson finished with 13 points, eight rebounds, and three blocked shots, while Courtney Bradley added a career-high 10 assists.