Jan. 26, 2008

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Complete North Florida Game Notes in PDF Format

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Coming off a one-point loss to Atlantic Sun-leading Jacksonville on Friday night, the USC Upstate women's basketball team will look to get its first Atlantic Sun win in school history on Monday night at 7 p.m. at North Florida.

Upstate, which enters the game at 4-15 overall and 0-6 in the A-Sun, has gotten some impressive production during the last four games from sophomore Courtney Hawkins, who moved into second in the conference in scoring, averaging 14.4 points per game.

The Spartans have also gotten increased offensive production from both freshman Tiffany Whiting and junior Ebony Johnson in the last three games, with Whiting scoring a career-high 12 against Jacksonville and Johnson posting a season-high 14 points in two of the last three games.

The Spartans are seemingly running into the 8-10 Ospreys at the right time, as North Florida has scored less than 40 points in their last two games, although those last two opponents stand atop the Atlantic Sun standings in Jacksonville and East Tennessee State. However, the Ospreys will enter the game with a 3-3 mark in conference play, having accumulated conference wins over Mercer, Florida Gulf Coast and Stetson.

The Ospreys lead the overall series, 9-2.

Spartan Notables
• The Spartans are 6-5 all-time on Jan. 28, last falling at UNC Pembroke, 66-58, in 2006.

• Upstate is 6-12 all-time against teams from the Sunshine State and 1-6 in Florida.

• The Spartans and Ospreys renew a rivalry from the Peach Belt Conference, which UNF left in 2005 to join the A-Sun.

• Sophomore Courtney Hawkins has recorded a steal in each of the last 18 games, with her last game without a theft coming in the season-opener at Kentucky on Nov. 10.

• Junior Ebony Johnson has scored a season-high 14 points in two of the last three games, including against Jacksonville.

• Sophomore Courtney Hawkins is riding a career-best four-game stretch with 15 or more points. She had three games of 15 or more points as a freshman.

• Freshman Tiffany Whiting is averaging 9.3 points and 3.0 rebounds over the last three games.

• Sophomore Courtney Hawkins has hit a 3-pointer in each of the last six games and nine of the last 10.

• Junior Ebony Johnson is the only player in the country 5-7 or shorter that is averaging 7.0 rebounds per game.

• In the last seven games, freshman Kimberly Pitman is averaging 3.9 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.

• Sophomore Shanea Wyant has averaged 6.5 rebounds in the last two games.