SPARTANBURG, S.C. - CIU men's basketball traveled up I-26 on Wednesday evening for a bout with NCAA Division I foe, the University of South Carolina-Upstate. It was the first meeting between the two teams, as the game was considered an exhibition for CIU and a regular-season contest for the Spartans. CIU played Upstate close in the first half but ultimately fell 93-59. 

The Rams took an early lead of 10-9 after Jalen Brinson was fouled on a 3-pointer at the 15:27 mark in the first half and knocked down all three free throws. The Spartans regained the advantage, but the Rams knotted the game at 23-23 on a Skyler McKinney jumper with 8:23 left until the intermission. Upstate saw a small run in the final minutes before halftime and would take a 45-35 lead at the break. 

The turning point in the game came in between the 15:42 mark and 10:13 mark, where the Spartans outscored the Rams 18-5 in that time frame. After falling behind by double-digits, Coach Tony Stockman would choose to rest his starters in a game that did not go against the Rams' season record as CIU ultimately fell 93-59. 

Jaylon Jeter led CIU in scoring on 6-of-11 shooting from the field for 15 points. Brinson was the Rams' second leading scorer collecting 11 points in just ten minutes, including going 2-of-2 from deep. 

Up Next: CIU will face Reinhardt (Ga.) in an important Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) matchup on Saturday, Nov. 3, at 4 PM in Waleska.