Box Score
The Bruins entered the tougher part of their 2014-15 schedule as they battled the first of their three NCAA DI opponents. They were in for a rude wakeup call on Thursday night as the team fell to the USC Upstate Spartans 107-41 in Spartanburg, South Carolina. "There is really not much for me to say about this game," Bruins Coach Neal Ring said. "We did some things better on defense tonight but the score didn't show that. They were a really good team and we have to give credit to them."

 

The Bruins and Spartans met during the 2013-14 season with the Bruins making their ESPN3 debut in a 94-67 loss to USC Upstate. The Spartans entered the game with a 2-0 record while the Bruins came into Thursday night having dropped back to back games at the hands of Kentucky Christian University and Emmanuel College. The two teams were ready for an upstate showdown as they took the court at the Hodge Center in Spartanburg.

From the opening tip, the Spartans rode the slick shooting of Ty Greene who punished the Bruins from beyond the arc for a perfect 4-4 first-half three pointers. Despite the hot shooting, the Bruins hung with the Spartans in the opening minutes as a three by Noah Smith put the Bruins within one point 10-9. From there, a 7-0 run by the Spartans fueled a monster offensive output for USC Upstate as the Spartans took a 56-24 lead into the half.

In the second half, the Bruins tried to make some adjustments, but the Spartans seemingly couldn't miss as Tristen Thomas was 7-8 from three-point range in the second half. Marshall Riddle tried to power the Bruins back into the game, but the team couldn't climb back as the Spartans continued to extend their lead. When the dust settled and the final buzzer sounded, the Spartans handed the Bruins their third straight loss with a 107-41 defeat. This was the highest scoring game for USC Upstate since 1993.

"Collectively we couldn't finish on offense tonight," Coach Ring said. "Mostly this was because they were really good. This is a difficult part of our schedule and we will be challenged again by D1 opponents. This is just another chance for us to get better."

Marshall Riddle led the Bruins with 18 points but he was the only player in double figures for the Bruins. The team struggled with 28 turnovers which turned into 41 Spartan points. With the loss, the team falls to 3-5 on the season. Next up, the Bruins will battle the second of their NCAA DI opponents as they travel to Charleston for a matchup with the Citadel Bulldogs.