Pepper leads Lipscomb to 78-65 win over SC-Upstate

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (AP) Eli Pepper had 11 points and 11 rebounds to help lead Lipscomb to a 78-65 win over South Carolina-Upstate on Saturday.

J.C. Hampton led Lipscomb (8-18, 4-5 Atlantic Sun) with 14 points as all five starters scored in double figures. Garrison Mathews had 12 points and George Brammeier and Cam Miller had 10 apiece.

Lipscomb led 36-20 at the break. Mathews started the second half with two from long range and the Bisons were up 48-27 with 15:43 left. South Carolina-Upstate's Josh Cuthbertson scored six straight points to cut the lead to 58-47 with 8:11 remaining. The Spartans closed to 74-65 with 1:08 left but Nathan Moran and Hampton made four free throws to seal the win.

Philip Whittington had 16 points and Cuthbertson added 14 for the Spartans (8-18, 2-7) who have lost seven of their last eight games. The victory was a 92-91 overtime win over Lipscomb last week.