Spartanburg, S.C. - Stetson traveled to Spartanburg Monday night to take on the USC Upstate Spartans in its conference opener. In the end the Hatters (2-4, 0-1) could not find an answer for the inspired shooting of the Spartans (1-5, 1-0). Upstate was an impressive 30-for-49 from the field for 61% which included 15-of-24 or 63% from 3-point range.
Freshman Tyshawn Patterson (Orlando, Fla.), Stetson's top scorer once again led the Hatters in the box score with 17 points on the night. A.J. Smith (Cocoa, Fla.) scored 12 and Ridge Graham (Stuart, Fla.) added 10 points and a team-high four rebounds.
Offensively Stetson had a good night shooting 40% (20-for-50) from the field after averaging 36% on the season coming into the game. The Hatters were outrebounded 30-25.
"Upstate played really well tonight, they shot the ball well", said Stetson head coach Derek Waugh. "Our defense was not in its finest form, yet they still made the plays."
The game did not start well for the Hatters as the Spartans opened up with an 8-0 run over the first two minutes. Patterson kept Stetson in the game by outscoring Upstate 9-7 over the next five minutes to make the score 15-9. He scored the team's first nine points and a total of 12 in the first half.
Playing in just their second home game of the season the Spartans were fired up in front of the home crowd. Stetson continued to fight back and went on a 5-2 run to get within three after a Smith long ball at 11:58. A 21-11 run to finish the half however left Stetson with a 13-point deficit heading into the locker room.
Stetson opened the second half with a 16-8 run in the first six minutes to get to within five points. At 11:37 Smith completed a three point play with a free throw and the Hatters were within three points. That was as close as the visitors would get however as the Spartans returned to their red-hot shooting.
"After we cut the lead to three we didn't execute well enough to take the lead. Then in the end we had to foul to try and get back in", said Waugh. "We played well in spurts but were not consistent at all."
Next up for the Hatters is a bus trip through Georgia and Tennessee on the way to Kentucky and a game with Rick Pitino's Louisville Cardinals. The game is scheduled for Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. in Freedom Hall. The voices of Stetson men's basketball Murray Miller and Harry Arnold will be on site to broadcast the action back to Hatterville via Hatter Vision audio.
