Game 16	NJIT (7-8; 0-0 ASUN) at USC Upstate (7-8; 0-0 ASUN)
Date | Time	Saturday, January 7, 2017 | 4:30 pm
Location | Arena	Spartanburg, SC | Hodge Center
Live Video | Live Audio	ESPN3, streaming telecast (WatchESPN app, www.WatchESPN.com) Kyle Crooks (play-by-play); Jason Patterson (color)
Live Stats	In-game statistics (free)
Social Media	@njithighlanders
All-time series | Last Meeting	USC Upstate leads, 2-0 | USC Upstate 67, NJIT 47 | 2.27.16
Game Notes	NJIT Notes | USC Upstate Notes

  The ASUN Conference schedule begins for the NJIT women's basketball team, as the Highlanders visit USC Upstate on Saturday, January 7, in Spartanburg, South Carolina with tip slated for 4:30 p.m.

The game is part of a doubleheader with the NJIT men, who will tip off at 2pm against the Spartans at the Hodge Center.

NJIT Notes …
--NJIT's three-game win streak was snapped against Columbia, 65-51, in Wednesday's matinee game
--The Highlanders won the previous four-out-of-five contests
--NJIT looks for its first program victory on the road in the ASUN Conference
--Last season, NJIT's lone win in conference play came against Lipscomb in Newark, 61-51
--NJIT ranks second in the ASUN as a team with 158 steals (USC Upstate leads with 159)
--Tatianna Torres is tied for first in the ASUN with USC Upstate's Raven Jefferson with 2.1 steals per game (32 total)

The game will be shown live on ESPN3 (all remaining NJIT home basketball games can be seen on ESPN3).

A simple way to find ESPN3 is on NJIT's official athletics website, www.njithighlanders.com. Near the middle of the home page NJIT TV section, click Upcoming Events for a list of scheduled NJIT contests. After finding the event, click the camera icon to the right of the event listing. That brings you to an ESPN3 portal where you can access the desired program.

Kyle Crooks, the voice of the Spartans, is on play-by-play with expert analysis from Jason Patterson.

For the remainder of the season, every NJIT game played in the ASUN Conference, home and away, throughout the regular season and into the ASUN postseason tournament will be covered on ESPN3.

ALL-TIME SERIES
USC Upstate leads the all-time series, 2-0.  The Spartans defeated NJIT, 67-47, on February 27 in Spartanburg, SC to conclude the 2015-16 regular season.

A LOOK AT USC UPSTATE (7-8; 0-0 ASUN)
USC Upstate, who advanced to the semifinals of the WBI Tournament a season ago, finished with 22 wins, the most in the programs Division I era and third-most in program history.

The Spartans, winners of its last two, concluded the non-conference portion of its schedule with a 68-58 victory over NC Central on January 3, improving to 7-8 overall.

DeNisha Swain scored a game-high 16 points and had a career-high six steals while Raven Jefferson scored 14 points.  Riley Popplewell posted her first career double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, including a career-high three blocks.

Jefferson, the Spartans senior guard, who was selected to the ASUN Preseason All-Conference team, is the lone player averaging double-figures at 12.7 ppg. 

USC Upstate was voted fifth by the league coaches in the ASUN Preseason Poll.

SPARTAN LEADERS
Points: Raven Johnson (12.7)
Rebounds: Vanessa Agrusa (5.7)
Assists: DeNisha Swain (38)
Steals: Raven Johnson (32)
Blocks: Riley Popplewell (11)

A LOOK AT NJIT (7-8; 0-0 ASUN)
NJIT concluded its non-conference schedule, dropping a 65-51 decision against Columbia on January 4, finishing with a 7-8 overall record.

NJIT was led by senior tri-captain Alana Dudley's 14 points, four assists and four steals.  Dudley has recorded at least one assist or steal in the Highlanders 15 games this season.

Redshirt sophomore guard Tatianna Torres, who enters Saturday's game, is averaging 15.5 points per game in her last four games, added 10 points and a team-best seven rebounds vs. Columbia.

The Highlanders are paced by Dudley's 11.5 ppg followed by senior forward Leah Horton at 10.5 ppg.  Freshman Danielle Tunstall sits atop averaging 6.5 rpg for the Highlanders.

Three-point threat Kelly Guarino is the team-leader with 24 three-point field goals made, which ranks fourth in the ASUN.

The Highlanders defense has been solid all season, allowing opponents only 59.1 PPG. Opposing teams are registering a shooting percentage of just 36.8 from the field, which ranks second in the ASUN. 

HIGHLANDER LEADERS
Points: Alana Dudley (11.5)
Rebounds: Danielle Tunstall (6.5)
Assists: Alana Dudley (59)
Steals: Tatianna Torres (32); Tied for first in ASUN
Blocks: Leah Horton (12)

NEXT ACTION
NJIT will open the ASUN home portion of its schedule hosting North Florida on January 14 at 1pm and Jacksonville on January 16 at 7pm.