Must Be A Typo

Last night I looked at the score of the Gonzaga game. It read Gonzaga 90, USCU 40. A 50-point win? That can't be right.
Turns out that a 43-16 halftime lead was not a comfortable margin for the Bulldogs. In the second half, the Zags thought they should extend their lead over the South Carolina Upstate Spartans. Gonzaga made over 47% of their shots and held a 18-2 advantage in steals. Ouch.

To bring you up to date, SC-Upstate is a conference rival of the Campbell Fighting Camels, my new favorite team. So I have no sympathy for the Spartans. The school name makes me a cringe a little, too. I understand the problem with the label "Northern South Carolina," but there's got to be a more creative solution. Boreal South Carolina? This area of the Carolina Piedmont is so rich with history and character - there has to be a better descriptor than "Upstate."

For starters, Spartanburg is home to the Beacon Drive-In. Established in 1946, this restaurant serves dishes like the Chili Cheese-A-Plenty, the Sliced Pork-A-Plenty, and the Pig's Dinner. The Beacon is the largest single seller of iced tea in the country - amazing!
Spartanburg is close to Hollywild Animal Park, which features a Safari Outback Ride for visitors. Actual text from the website:
"It's great fun to spot the hidden babies in the woods while being surrounded by dozens of animals..."
"While on Safari, be sure to look for “Tank” Hollywild’s famous Rhino… you’ll recognize him from the current ZICAM commercials."
And finally, who can forget the Battle of Cowpens in 1781 (which occurred a little farther upstate)?
In conclusion, I've come up with a school name that epitomizes the region and its culture - the South Carolina-Beaconwild Cowpenneers.

Throughout this fascinating discussion of a unique urban area in the Blue Ridge Mountains, I neglected to tell you that Gonzaga has won 16 out of its last 17 games and holds a perfect conference record of 14-0. Can you guess the team that beat the Zags in that stretch? It's none other than the Memphis Tigers, who are undefeated in Conference USA play (15-0). So are their conferences extremely weak or are these teams flawless? You make the call.