Feb. 28, 2009

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The regular season came to a close on Saturday afternoon as USC Upstate downed Kennesaw State, 80-51, on Saturday afternoon at the Hodge Center.

The Owls (7-22, 3-17 A-Sun) got 15 points from Jon-Michael Nickerson and 14 points from Spencer Dixon as KSU lost its seventh straight game as their fourth and final transition season came to a close.

USC Upstate (9-20, 8-12 A-Sun), who won its second straight game, took control of the game from the outset and put up their largest margin of victory since they became a Division I member last season.

Josh Chavis and Zac Rich hit back-to-back three pointers opened the game with back-to-back three-pointers to take a 6-0 lead and they never trailed. Spartans seven-footer Nick Schneiders scored 10-of-his-16 first half points in the first seven minutes as the Spartans opened a 19-8 lead in the first seven minutes.

Kennesaw State was sparked by Nickerson who scored nine of the Owls next 11 points as the Black and Gold were able to cut the Spartans lead to 23-19 with just under eight minutes left in the half. The Owls would not get closer than four points the rest of the night as Upstate closed the half on a 12-2 run for a 35-21 halftime lead.

Nickerson finished the game going 7-for-12 from the floor, he and Jay Mitchell (1-for-1) were the only two Kennesaw State players to connect on more than half of their shots from the field. Zadrian Gibson led the Owls with seven rebounds and also had four blocks as the Owls were out-rebounded, 41-26 in the game.