South Carolina Upstate Stuns Charleston Southern in 100-94 Upset

In a stunning turn of events, South Carolina Upstate pulled off a significant upset, defeating Charleston Southern 100-94 at the G.B. Hodge Center. This conference matchup saw the Spartans, ranked 286 in the net rankings, take down the Buccaneers, who sat at 239. The six-point margin of victory marked a major upset, as CHD Scout had predicted Charleston Southern to win by three points. Instead, South Carolina Upstate's high-powered offense, led by Karmani Gregory's impressive 29-point performance, propelled them to a crucial win.

The game was a back-and-forth affair, with Charleston Southern holding a slim 40-39 lead at halftime. However, South Carolina Upstate's Mason Bendinger and Carmelo Adkins joined Gregory in a second-half surge, combining for 45 points in the final 20 minutes. The Spartans' offense was on full display, with Gregory also contributing seven assists to help his teammates find open looks. On the other side, Jesse Hafemeister was nearly unstoppable for Charleston Southern, scoring 32 points and grabbing seven rebounds. Despite his valiant effort, the Buccaneers couldn't keep pace with the Spartans' balanced attack.

Charleston Southern's Jacob Taylor chipped in with 24 points, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Spartans' onslaught. The Buccaneers had been favored to win, but South Carolina Upstate's upset victory will send shockwaves through the conference standings. This result is a significant blow to Charleston Southern's tournament chances, as they fall to 11-14 on the season. Meanwhile, South Carolina Upstate improves to 11-14, keeping their slim postseason hopes alive.

The implications of this upset cannot be overstated. As a Quadrant 4 win for South Carolina Upstate, it may not significantly boost their tournament resume, but it does provide a much-needed confidence boost. For Charleston Southern, this loss is a Quadrant 4 defeat, which will likely hurt their chances of earning an at-large bid. With the conference tournament approaching, both teams must regroup and refocus if they hope to make a deep run.

This result serves as a reminder that, even in the latter stages of the season, upsets can still occur. South Carolina Upstate's victory will be a significant talking point in the coming days, and their ability to take down a higher-ranked opponent will give them momentum heading into their next matchup. As for Charleston Southern, they must bounce back quickly to avoid falling further behind in the conference standings.