SPARTANBURG, S.C. (AP) -Kevin Tiggs matched his career high of 32 points as East Tennessee State held off South Carolina-Upstate 66-61 on Thursday night, ending a three-game skid.
Mike Smith scored 20 points to become the third active Buccaneers player to reach the 1,000-point mark, joining Tiggs and Courtney Pigram.
Smith singlehandedly outscored the Spartans 6-2 to help ETSU (18-9, 12-5 Atlantic Sun Conference) extend a 55-54 lead to 61-56 with 1:15 left. He also grabbed 11 rebounds.
The Buccaneers needed the win to stay in the hunt for the conference regular-season title and No. 1 tournament seed.
S.C.-Upstate (7-19, 6-11) took a 54-53 lead on a De'Marion Gordon layup with 5:50 left, but ETSU quickly regained the edge with a Greg Hamlin jumper.
Bobby Davis led the Spartans, who have lost three straight, with 16 points and eight rebounds.
