FAIRLAWN, Va. (Interstat) — In a stunning reversal of fortune just three weeks after a humiliating 38-point defeat, the South Carolina Upstate Spartans authored a gritty defensive masterpiece to upset the Radford Highlanders 57-52 in a Big South Conference women’s basketball game Wednesday night at the D.N. Dedmon Center.

The most important part of the game was unquestionably South Carolina Upstate’s ability to withstand Radford’s relentless pressure and execute down the stretch, a stark contrast to their previous meeting. On Jan. 28, Radford demolished the Spartans 67-29. This time, despite committing a staggering number of turnovers that led to 23 Radford points, the Spartans never relinquished a lead they built early and showed a poise absent from the prior matchup.

The victory, witnessed by 568 fans, improved South Carolina Upstate to 9-18 overall. Radford, which entered the contest with a 94.4% probability to win according to Interstat’s ELO system, fell to 17-11.

From the opening tip, the Spartans established control. They opened the game on a 6-0 run and closed the first quarter leading 14-11. They extended that advantage to 33-22 by halftime, outscoring the Highlanders 19-11 in the second period. The Spartans’ defense was the cornerstone, holding Radford to just 22 first-half points and challenging every shot.

Radford, as expected, mounted a charge in the second half. The Highlanders chipped away, winning the third quarter 14-11 to cut the deficit to 44-36 entering the final frame. A 16-point fourth quarter from the home team applied constant pressure, but the Spartans, who scored 13 in the period, had an answer for every push.

The Highlanders’ comeback attempt was fueled by capitalizing on Spartan mistakes, scoring more than three times as many points off turnovers (23) as Upstate did (6). Yet, the Spartans compensated by winning the battle in other areas, narrowly losing the points in the paint (18-16) but finding critical baskets when needed.

Joi Williams of Radford led all scorers with 18 points in 35 minutes, while teammate Cherish Haywood provided a crucial spark off the bench with 12 points, including a clutch three-pointer with 22 seconds remaining that pulled the Highlanders within two possessions. For South Carolina Upstate, the scoring was balanced and timely. Cassie Gallagher of Cookeville, Tennessee, led the Spartans with 11 points, while Zoe Richardson of Auckland, New Zealand, also added 11 points and several key rebounds in just 19 minutes of action. Aubrie Kierscht contributed 9 points.

The final minutes were a tense affair of fouls and free throws. After Haywood’s three made it 49-46, the Spartans’ Gwen Jenkins was fouled and made one of two free throws with 16 seconds left. Following a Radford timeout, Joi Williams buried a deep three-pointer with just 4 seconds on the clock, slicing the lead to 52-49. The Spartans’ Cassie Gallagher was immediately fouled and calmly sank both free throws to extend the lead to five. A last-second heave by Radford was off the mark, sealing the monumental road win for the Spartans.

The game was a testament to South Carolina Upstate’s resilience. Having lost five of their last six entering the night, including the previous blowout to this same Radford team, the Spartans flipped the script with determined defense and clutch composure. For Radford, the loss was a missed opportunity to solidify its standing, instead highlighting issues with offensive consistency against a tenacious zone defense.

South Carolina Upstate looks to build on this momentum when it hosts Longwood on Saturday. Radford aims to rebound in a road game at Charleston Southern, also on Saturday.