clarkwgriswold

Good first 5 minutes followed by 10 ugly minutes followed by 5 okay minutes.

Get back to class. Started good. 51% now.

Zips looking a little lost against the zone.

Damnit, letting them back in the game. 23-16, 7:39.

Sayles, X and Riak on floor together.

Offense has cooled down a little. 18-7, 9:25.

Beautiful slam on a lob by X. More than made up for getting a rebound 3feet from the basket and throwing it back out front.

I like this 5- X, Cheese, LCJ, Reece and Banks.

Much more intensity on D tonight.

Lord knows he wouldn't be missing class.

Small crowd. Good start, 7-0.

But George told us these teams have never played before. To quote GT's extensive scouting report- "Series record: First meeting"

I'll be better able to tell which one of us is the less fortunate by 9:30 p.m.

I get the three point shooting thing. It's what the college game has become, on all levels. I just hate how hastily the Zips occasionally default to it and that most penetration seems to be solely geared to kicking out. In reality though, if they were making a reasonable percentage of them I wouldn't be whining about it! Let's hope for a more entertaining game than Friday night's slopfest. Talk about a game killing your early season enthusiasm.

From the UA Athletics website- Scouting the Spartans South Carolina Upstate enters the game with a 1-3 record after dropping two-straight games to N.C. Central (73-64) and Virginia Tech (80-57). The Spartans opened the season with a loss to the College of Charleston (74-55 before winning their home opener 103-62 against Truett-McConnell. Upstate has two players averaging double-digits, led by Everette Hammond with a team-best 13.0 points per game. He is shooting 40.4 percent (19-of-47) from the field and has the team high in trips to the free throw line while making 11of-14 at the charity stripe. He has a team-best three blocked shots with a second best six steals and three assists. Bryson Mozone follows with 10.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. He has buried a team-best nine made 3-pointers (9-of-31) and grabbed a team-high 26 boards. Tommy Bruner and Josh Aldrich add 8.0 and 7.5 points per night, respectively, while Dalvin White has dished-out a team-high 18 assists. Defensively, Upstate allows opponents to score 72.3 points a night on 48.4 percent shooting from the floor and 35.3 percent from 3-point range, permitting 7.5 long distance strikes per night. The Spartans caused 73 turnovers (18.3 to/g) with 30 steals (7.5 stl/g). Upstate is slightly outrebounded the opponent by a -1.7 margin as the opponent grabs 36.0 rebounds per game compared to their 34.3 boards per game.

The only thing they've spoiled this year is a couple of tubs of nachos at Infocision as I got an upset stomach watching them play.

6-3 sophomore guard Everette Hammond is the Spartans leading scorer at 13.5 a game. 6-6 sophomore guard Bryson Mozone leads rebounding at 6.5 rpg. They are coming off of an 80-57 loss to Va Tech at Blacksburg last Wednesday.

I also sensed in the Malone game that they were playing in "relaxed"" mode. Maybe they're the rare team that can turn it on and off (highly unlikely), but I demand more of an effort for my $4 ticket! They are deep enough now to play hard for forty minutes now. If they'd have played as hard as the kids from NNC, that game would have been a blowout. LCC needs to realize we need a playmaker, not a scorer. They seem to too often penetrate with reckless abandon into trouble or just throw up a hasty three. Cheese seems to be the only guy on the team who realizes a shot can be taken between 2 and 22 feet.

1-3 SC Upstate comes into the JAR Monday night to face the Zips. Their only win is over Truett McConnell University. They lost 73-64 to NC Central.

The Zips have certainly played worse teams in the early OOC, but that was just an awful performance. Even the 1350 feed gave up shortly after the game. It apparently wanted to make no more of an effort than the Zips. They need to learn that if they occasionally go to the hole with authority that it will loosen up the perimeter defense. On the night, they did that once when X had his slam. Otherwise they dribble just to look to dish for a three and they either do or gt trapped and in trouble. They should also NEVER be out-efforted, which appeared to be the case tonight. That team was obviously out talented, but they sure play hard.

Starting to pull away. Up 14.

3 point game.

...and valley in November?

About time X went to the hole hard. Nice dunk.

33-28, 11:39.