Preview: Charleston Southern at South Carolina Upstate

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (Interstat) — Two Big South Conference men’s basketball teams seeking to reverse recent slides will meet Saturday when the Charleston Southern Buccaneers visit the South Carolina Upstate Spartans at the G.B. Hodge Center.

Both teams enter the 2026 conference matchup on losing streaks. Charleston Southern (11-13) has dropped six consecutive games, while South Carolina Upstate (10-14) has lost three of its last four.

The Spartans won the first meeting this season, edging the Buccaneers 86-81 in overtime on Jan. 14 in Charleston. South Carolina Upstate’s Karmani Gregory scored 14 points in that victory. He enters the rematch as a key offensive threat, averaging 19.3 points over his last three games, including a 22-point performance in a Feb. 4 loss at UNC Asheville.

Charleston Southern will counter with guard Jesse Hafemeister, who is coming off a 21-point effort in Wednesday’s 80-55 loss at High Point. Despite the team’s struggles, Hafemeister has been a consistent scorer, reaching double figures in five of the last six contests.

The Buccaneers’ losing streak has been marked by narrow defeats, with four of the six losses coming by six points or fewer, including two in overtime. South Carolina Upstate has faced similar challenges, with two of its last four losses decided by two points or less.

Both teams are near the bottom of the Big South standings and will view this game as a critical opportunity to gain momentum for the final stretch of the regular season. The Buccaneers will look to avenge their earlier overtime loss, while the Spartans aim to complete a regular-season sweep and climb back to .500 in conference play.

Tipoff is scheduled for Saturday afternoon. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.