The USC Upstate Spartans and the Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs meet Wednesday in college basketball action from Paul Porter Arena. USC Upstate is 9-10 so far. The Spartans lost to UNC Asheville in their last game. As for Gardner-Webb, they’re 9-11 following a win over Winthrop this past weekend. Check back all season long for free college basketball picks at Sports Chat Place.
USC Upstate Spartans
USC Upstate lost to Duke, Clemson, Air Force, South Carolina, Florida State, Kennesaw State and Charleston Southern in their first 14 games. The Spartans are 2-3 since then with wins over High Point and Presbyterian.
In the UNC Asheville matchup on Saturday, USC Upstate had a lead 29-26 going into the second half. The Spartans managed a 38-29 deficit from there and fell 64-58. Trae Broadnax posted 19 points and nine rebounds to lead the team.
Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs
Over on the Gardner-Webb side, they lost to Colorado State, Stephen F. Austin, Wofford, North Carolina, NC Central, Chattanooga and Old Dominion in their first 14 outings. The Bulldogs are 2-4 in their last six, beating only Presbyterian and Winthrop.
On Saturday in the Winthrop game, the Bulldogs were down 32-31 at halftime. Gardner-Webb fought back on a 32-29 second-half run and pulled off the comeback 63-61. Ludovic Dufeal topped the team with 12 points and four rebounds.
ANDREW’S FREE PICK
I’ll probably stick with USC Upstate. This one’s tough, though; you could make a case either way. The Spartans managed a decent showing against a pretty good UNC Asheville team in their last game, however they’re just 1-3 in their last four games and could use a quality victory. USC Upstate has scored 65 points or fewer in each of those four games. As for Gardner-Webb, they’re on a 2-4 slump themselves but they’ve been pretty close in all of the losses. I think this one will come down to the wire. Should be a good game to watch.