SPARTANBURG, S.C.- Cold first half shooting and miscues allowed USC Upstate to coast to a 78-50 victory on Tuesday evening over Converse. Converse falls to 1-1 on the season, while Upstate picks up their first win of the season, 1-2.
Margo Dill (Hilton Head, S.C.) led the Valkyries with 12 points and eight boards. Logan Hollis (Spartanburg, S.C.) posted 11 points. Christhea Mitchell (Jacksonboro, S.C.) and Kelcee Dozier (Blythewood, S.C.) chipped in six apiece.
Converse (1-1) kept things close the first 10 minutes of the game. Dill started the scoring off with a three ball at the top of the key. Ashley Salgado (Ottumwa, Iowa) hit a jumper to give the Valkyries the temporary lead early at 5-4.
An Upstate three with 16:18 to go in the first half gave the Spartans the lead at 10-7. There Upstate never looked back. The Valkyries would cut it to 13-11 after Dozier hit a jumper from the elbow.
Converse would be held without a field goal for the next nine minutes. During that span, Upstate went on a 15-2 run with Dill hitting two free throws along the way. Dill's jumper in the paint halted the scoreless span.
The Spartans would finish the first half with an 11-3 run before Salgado hit a three at the buzzer sending the Valkyries in the locker room with a bit of momentum, down 39-21.
Converse would keep fighting in the second half scoring 29 points, 11 of those came from Hollis. Yashee Johnson (West Columbia, S.C.) and Kassidy Moorhouse (Anderson, S.C.) posted four points apiece in the half.
Upstate would win the battle of the boards grabbing 58 caroms, 25 of those on the offensive glass leading to 18 second chance points. The Valkyries finished the game with 39 boards.
The Spartans turned the 24 Valkyrie turnovers into 21 points off turnovers and 16 points on fast breaks.
Converse heads into Conference Carolinas play Thursday Nov. 20, as the Valkyries travel to Emmanuel (Ga.). Tip-off is slated for 5:30pm.