The Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs and the USC Upstate Spartans meet on Wednesday night in the opening round of the Big South Conference Tournament. Gardner-Webb comes into this tournament after a very challenging regular season, while USC Upstate looks to extend its season into the quarterfinals. The Spartans come into this Gardner-Webb vs USC Upstate game as the clear favorites, but upsets are a part of March and the Bulldogs will try to pull one off here.
Venue: Freedom Hall Civic Center, Johnson City, Tennessee
Broadcast: ESPN+
Key Storylines
USC Upstate enters this first-round matchup as the eighth seed against ninth seed Gardner-Webb in the Big South Tournament. The Spartans finished with a better record (13-18 overall, 5-11 Big South) and beat Gardner-Webb in their most recent matchup 71-61, while Gardner-Webb won the first meeting 67-65 earlier in the season. Both teams split the season series.
Gardner-Webb struggled through the regular season, winning just 3 games. Their defensive issues are substantial as they allow over 86 points per game, nearly 13 more than USC Upstate allows per outing.
The Spartans hope to carry momentum from their February home win over Gardner-Webb into this tournament game. But Gardner-Webb has proven that this game is far from a sure thing.
Key Players
USC Upstate Spartans
Karmani Gregory is the team’s top scoring gun at roughly 15.8 points per game, also contributing assists and veteran leadership.
Jafeth Martinez chips in with over five rebounds per game and secondary scoring that helps stabilize USC Upstate’s interior play.
Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs
Jacob Hogarth leads Gardner-Webb at around 11.0 points per game and 7.0 rebounds, providing reliable scoring and a presence on the glass.
Colin Hawkins leads Gardner-Webb with 2.1 assists per game. That speaks to the ball movement and finishing issues that the Runnin' Bulldogs have experienced throughout this year.
Stat Comparison
Stat
Gardner-Webb
USC Upstate
Points per game
68.5
74.6
Points allowed per game
86.3
73.9
Team Field Goal %
43%
44%
Rebounds per game
30.5
37.0
Assists per game
10.3
12.7
Head-to-Head & Betting Trends
The season series is split with USC Upstate winning the recent late-February meeting and Gardner-Webb claiming the first contest.
Gardner-Webb is 13-14-1 against the spread this season.
USC Upstate is 13-15 against the spread this year.
USC Upstate appears poised to handle Gardner-Webb fairly comfortably in this Big South Tournament opener. The statistical advantages in scoring, defense, and rebounding favor the Spartans. Gardner-Webb’s limited offensive firepower and porous defense make an upset unlikely. USC Upstate to win and cover is my best bet for this matchup down South.
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