UNC Greensboro 55, Samford 47
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Lakiah Hyson and Monique Floyd shared game-high honors with 13 points each and Floyd had a pair of big steals in the last minute as UNC Greensboro topped Samford on Monday, 55-47.
Redshirt freshman Amy Clapper scored 10 points to give UNCG (4-7, 1-2 Southern Conference) three players in double figures, while Savannah Hill was the only Bulldog to reach double digits with 11 points.
With UNCG nursing a 52-47 lead and Samford (8-4, 3-2 SoCon) holding the ball with just over 30 seconds left, Floyd snuck into the passing lane and picked off Emily London's pass then raced the other way for a fastbreak layup to make it a three-possession game.
On Samford's next possession, Floyd ripped the ball away from Megan Wilderotter and Amanda Leigh ended up with it. Leigh was fouled on the ensuing breakaway, hitting the first attempt of a two-shot foul to make it an eight-point game.
The Bulldogs were only able to get off one more shot, but London's 3-point try from in front of her own bench rimmed out.
The win was UNCG's first conference win of the season as the Spartans improved to 2-2 all-time against Samford. UNCG has won three of its last four games.
The Spartans took control of the game midway through the second half. After the Bulldogs used a 10-0 run to turn a three-point deficit into a seven-point lead at 37-30, UNCG rattled off 16 straight points to seize momentum.
Floyd got the run started with a jumper, and Amy Clapper gave the Spartans the lead for good with a three-point play at the 10:39 mark. Clapper would add another layup and Hyson converted a three-point play of her own to cap the run.
Sophomore Paige Anderson stopped the bleeding with a jumper that got the Bulldogs back within seven at 46-39 with 6:08 to play, but by that point, the Spartans were in control.
The run was an emphatic answer to the Bulldogs' 10-0 spurt. After UNCG sophomore Sarah Folwell hit a 3-pointer to snap a 27-all tie just a couple of minutes into the second half, Wilderotter hit a free throw and Alex Crow hit a 3 and a jumper to put Samford up by three. An Anderson layup and a pair of Hill free throws capped the run, giving the Bulldogs their largest second-half lead.
After UNCG took a 48-39 lead on a pair of Floyd free throws, London hit a 3 to cut it to a six-point game. Hill added a free throw and London hit a jumper with just over two minutes left to make it a one-possession game at 48-45.
Floyd hit a pair of free throws to push UNCG's lead back to five, but Hill hit a jumper in the lane to again make it a three-point game with 45 seconds left.
The Bulldogs were forced to foul to stop the clock, and Hyson made them pay on the other end, hitting both ends of a one-and-one to make it a two-possession game with 41.3 seconds left and setting up Floyd's heroics in the final seconds.
UNCG revamped its starting lineup for the game, with Folwell and freshman Dayshaun Richbow earning their first career starts. Folwell responded with seven points and a career-best six rebounds and three blocked shots, while Richbow had five points, three boards and two assists at the point.
Floyd came off the bench for just the fourth time in her career.
UNCG will try to even its SoCon record next time out, when it takes on Georgia Southern in Statesboro, Ga., on Dec. 29. Opening tip is set for 5 p.m.
Elon 73, UNC Asheville 68
ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Senior Urysla Cotton had a double-double performance with a team high 14 points and 10 rebounds as the Elon women's basketball team posted a 73-68 win over UNC Asheville to improve to 5-6 on the season. The win was Elon's eighth straight over the Bulldogs, who fell to 3-7 overall.
Tiffany Davis was one of four Elon scorers in double figures with 13 points after going 3-of-4 from downtown and a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line. The senior finished three assists and two steals. Kallie Hovatter added 12 points from the bench and dished five assists. Courtney Medley was the final Phoenix player in double figures with 11 points. Medley finished with a game-high six assists and grabbed five rebounds.
Four Phoenix players recorded buckets as Elon opened up to an 11-3 lead and would not trail for the remainder of the game. UNC Asheville chipped away at the score and came within five, 17-12, on a three by Grace Blaylock. The Phoenix connected on 3-of-5 from behind the arc as it went on a 18-7 run that gave it a 15-point lead at 35-20 with just over five minutes remaining in the half. UNC Asheville cut the lead to six on a layup by Kelli Riles, but Hovatter hit a layup with 53 seconds on the clock that sent Elon into the half with a 45-34 lead.
Cotton connected on two jumpers during a 6-2 streak that started the second half and put Elon up 51-36. A bucket by Lei Lei Hairston gave Elon its largest lead of the day at 18, 59-41, with 12 minutes left in the game.
Trailing 63-50, UNCA's Chioma Okoli drained a pair of free throws and sparked an 14-5 run the spanned five minutes and cut the Phoenix lead to three at 68-65. A three by Kendall Shepard made it a two-point game at 70-68 with 36 seconds left. Elon went 3-of-4 from the charity stripe in final 30 seconds to seal the win 73-68.
Elon eclipsed the 70-point mark for the third time in four games and improved to 5-0 when it scores at least 70 points. Elon shot 42.2 percent from the field finished with 42 points in the paint.
"Kallie was a spark off of the bench for us today," head coach Karen Barefoot said. "With Tiara out with the flu and some of our scorers having an off night, it was nice to see the rest of the team step up and make shots when we needed them."
The Phoenix will break for the holidays before returning to the court on December 29 against Coastal Carolina. The game, Elon's second in a row against a member of the Big South, is at 5 p.m.
Furman 73, Appalachian State 56
BOONE, N.C. - A 21-4 run to close out the first half was all Southern Conference rival Furman needed Monday evening, as the Paladins pushed past Appalachian State University women's basketball, with the Mountaineers falling 73-56 on their home floor. Picking up the win, FU improves to 4-9 on the season and 2-3 in league play, while ASU snaps a two-game winning streak and drops to 4-5 overall and 1-2 in the SoCon.
ASU got off to a solid start, going on an 8-1 run, thanks in part to six points by freshman Ashlen Dewart (Spartanburg, S.C./Dorman), putting the Apps up 15-8. Furman however would not give up, scoring eight straight points of their own, taking their first lead of the contest at the 16-15 mark.
It was the deflating 21-4 streak by the Paladins to close out the half that proved to doom the Mountaineers the rest of the contest, as Furman could not miss, draining 19 unanswered points. Kali Holtfreter and Kendra Berry paced the deadly Furman offensive attack, as the duo accounted for 15 points during the run, with the Black and Gold facing a 36-21 deficit under a minute to play in the half.
Scoring the team's first bucket since the 7:44 mark, Dewart hit a layup and drained two free throws giving Appalachian its lone points in the waning minutes of first half action, with ASU trailing 38-25 heading into intermission.
The Mountaineers appeared poised to stage a comeback in the early goings of the second period, as Dewart and Catherine Williams (Chattanooga, Tenn./Howard) recorded the first four points to open play, but Furman would not go away taking a commanding 14 point lead just under the 17 minute mark.
The Paladins led by as many as 18, and the Apps were able to come within 10 points with Anna Freeman (Thomasville, N.C./East Davidson) and Williams chipping in on the offensive front, but ASU could not get over the 10 point hump.
The Black and Gold were outscored 9-4 in the final two minutes of action, and the Mountaineers saw their late rally hopes come to a close, dropping a 17 point decision to their league rival.
Dewart yet again had an impressive outing, leading all scorers on the evening with 16 points, while grabbing six boards. Williams and Anna Freeman finished the game in double-figure scoring as well, as Williams posted 11 points and Anna Freeman had 10.
Turnovers and poor three-point shooting proved to be the Achilles heel of ASU, as Appalachian committed a season-high 34 turnovers and shot a dismal 12.5 percent from behind the arc. The lone trey for the Mountaineers (who went 1-8 from three-point land) came from junior Sam Ramirez early in the first half.
Ramirez had limited playing time in the contest due to an injury suffered during first half play.
Appalachian looks to rebound, as the Black and Gold head to the Buckeye State to face MAC-power Bowling Green, Wednesday December 23. The game is slated to begin at 7 p.m. in BGSU's Anderson Arena.
Georgia Southern 80, Kennesaw State 67
STATESBORO, Ga. - A three-pointer from J'Lisia Ogburn ended the night as the Lady Eagle finished with a career-high 20 points helping Georgia Southern surpass Kennesaw State, 80-67 (December 21). The Lady Eagles went 11-of-12 down the stretch from the free throw line to improve to 6-4 overall. Kennesaw State dropped to 4-6.
As the clock wound down, Kennesaw State added the pressure to the Lady Eagles, closing to within four points with 2:47 minutes remaining. Ogburn (Dublin, Ga.) picked up a foul on a made jumper for an old-fashioned three-point play, 67-60. Owl Angie Smith pushed the score back to 67-63 before Jessica Geiger (Stone Mountain, Ga.) took a trip to the free throw line, shooting one-and-one for Georgia Southern. The senior connected on both to set the score to 69-63. After a Georgia Southern turnover, Janay Wilson (Warner Robins, Ga.) returned possession back to the Lady Eagles with her third steal of the game. Wilson and Jamie Navarro (Naples, Fla.) added six points to the scoreboard off trips to the charity stripe before Ogburn closed out the game with a 5-0 run.
Georgia Southern finished the game shooting 41.3 percent from the floor and added 20 points off 18 KSU turnovers, 11 coming in the first half from 12 turnovers. Ogburn led all scorers with 20 points as Carolyn Whitney (Duluth, Ga.) tied her season-high of 17 points. Whitney matched her career-high in three-pointers, nailing four on the night. Navarro, for the second consecutive game, scored in double digits, adding 12 points. Ogburn led on both sides of the court as the Lady Eagle secured eight rebounds.
Leading scorer, Gia Lockett, led the offense for the Owls with 19 points. Smith followed with 12 and Ashley Holliday posted 11 points. Georgia Southern won the edge on glass, 41-30, and went 20-of-24 from the free throw line.
"They were a very quick team and my hats off to Kennesaw State. They made us play games that we haven't been able to practice against," said head coach Rusty Cram. "But our free throws down the stretch were the difference in the ballgame. It wasn't our best game of the year, but if you're going to have a good year, that is one of those that you're just thankful for the win."
After building up to a 12-point lead in the second half, the Lady Eagles were held scoreless from the floor for over four minutes of play. Leading by 12 following Whitney's fourth trey of the game, Navarro extended GS's largest lead to 14 points with a field goal, setting the score at 57-44 with 8:32 remaining. After closing the gap to eight points, Navarro nailed a long '3' to widen Georgia Southern's lead back to double digits, 62-51. Back-to-back treys from Lockett and Brandi Jones pulled Kennesaw State to within five points, 62-57. The Lady Eagles went 11-of-12 down the stretch from the free throw line to secure the win, 80-67.
Kennesaw State kept the game close, putting the pressure on the Lady Eagles in the first half and holding Georgia Southern to within one point through the first nine minutes. A pair of traded treys at the 10:00 marker preceded a Whitney jumper and three-pointer for a 20-14 Georgia Southern lead. GS built its first double-digit lead off a Samantha Williams (Kingsport, Tenn.) jumper just shy of five minutes. Consecutive buckets from Candice Ivy (Roswell, Ga.) ended the Eagles' offense in the opening frame, as Georgia Southern closed out the half with a 35-29 lead.
Whitney tied her season-high in treys within the first twenty minutes, nailing three, as the senior led the team at the break with 11 points. Junior Navarro led on the defensive side securing five boards. Georgia Southern shot 36.8 percent from the floor, while Kennesaw shot 50.0 percent. However, the Lady Eagles were able to secure 11 points off 12 Owl turnovers.
Georgia Southern returns to the court and Southern Conference play after the Christmas holiday welcoming UNC Greensboro to Hanner Fieldhouse, December 29. Tip is slated for 5:00 p.m.
College of Charleston 68, Western Carolina 61
CHARLESTON, S.C. - Tonia Gerty (Port Orange, Fla.) scored 14 points, while Ericka Williams (Blackville, S.C.) added 13, to lead the College of Charleston women's basketball team back from a halftime deficit to take the 68-61 win over the Western Carolina Catamounts in front of 415 fans at the Carolina First Arena.
The Cougars improve to 8-3 overall and 4-0 in the Southern Conference. The 8-3 mark matches the best start for CofC in Division I history. Charleston started last season with the same record. The Cougars are also 4-0 in SoCon play for the first time. Western Carolina drops to 2-9 and 1-2 in the league.
After Western Carolina opened the second half with a jumper to increase its lead to seven with 19:35 remaining, Charleston responded with seven unanswered points to tie the game, 32-32, with 17:09 on the clock. The Cougars built a seven-point lead, in part to five points from Williams, and led 41-34 with 15:11 to go. The Catamounts used a 9-0 run the next three minutes to re-take the lead with 12:32, before Brooke Kotcella (Anderson, S.C.) nailed her only three-pointer of the night at 11:36 to give the Cougars the lead back and for good.
Western Carolina cut the margin to five and three on several occasions but could not get any closer as the Cougars used clutch free throws, including a seven-for-10 effort in the last minute, to seal the 68-61 win.
Western Carolina led the entire first half and by as much as seven, 22-15 at the 6:41 mark, before the Cougars used a small 7-2 run to cut the deficit to two with 3:16 remaining. The Catamounts increased the lead back to six before settling at the half holding the five-point, 30-25 lead.
Following Gerty and Williams in scoring was Kotcella with 12 points. Leading the team in rebounds was Deidra Jones (Irmo, S.C.) with seven. Emily Clarke paced the Catamounts with 19 points, while Caitlin Hollifield added a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Charleston shot 44.2 percent from the field, while Western Carolina went 35.5. The Catamounts held the rebounding edge, 42-36, and had one more turnover, 15-14. Of the 14 Cougar turnovers, only three were committed in the second half.
In what was billed as the "Habitat for Humanity Game" fans brought just over 150 books to help Habitat for Humanity families.
The Cougars return to the hardwood Dec. 29 with a 7 p.m. matchup against Charleston Southern at the Carolina First Arena.
Clemson 67, Wofford 51
CLEMSON, S.C. - Despite only trailing by four points at the half, the Wofford women's basketball team fell to Clemson Monday by a score of 67-51.
The Terriers opened with a 4-0 lead off an opening jumper from Kelly Dwyer and another less than a minute later from Mahagony Williams. The Tigers answered with a layup, but the Terriers were able to maintain a slight lead for more than six minutes into the contest, when a jumper from Lele Hardy gave the Tigers their first lead at 10-9.
The two teams traded baskets before a five-point Clemson run stretched the Tiger lead to 17-11. The momentum shift helped Clemson to a 10-point lead before the Terriers answered with a layup and a free throw shot from Williams to cut the Tiger lead to seven.
A three-pointer from Maddie Helms put the Terriers within four with three minutes remaining in the half. A Clemson layup was answered by Helms to keep the score within four points at 24-28 heading into the break.
Wofford pulled within two points in the first three minutes of the half, using a layup by Kelly Dwyer to cut the Tigers' lead to 32-30. After a pair of traded baskets, a fastbreak layup from freshman Mariah Masalin tied the score at 34. The teams traded baskets again and after another tie at 36, Clemson recorded a 12-2 run to take a 48-38 lead with 8:31 remaining.
The Terriers struggled to keep up with a hot-shooting Tiger team in the second half, as Clemson recorded a 42.4 shooting percentage from the field. The Tigers would lead by as many as 19 points in the second half, holding the Terriers scoreless from the field for more than five minutes. A three-pointer from Natalie Gramblin with 1:24 remaining would be the last basket of the game as the Tigers claimed the 65-51 win.
Senior Lele Hardy led the Tigers with 21 points, 10 rebounds and five assists while sophomore Shaniqua Pauldo added 15 points and nine boards. Clemson grabbed 54 total rebounds while shooting just under 40 percent from the field.
Junior Mahagony Williams notched a double-double, pacing the Terriers with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Senior Natalie Gramblin added 10 points while senior Kelly Dwyer and freshman Rachel Brittenham each contributed four assists.
With the win, Clemson improves to 9-4 overall while Wofford falls to 1-10 on the season. The Terriers will resume Southern Conference play in the new year as they take on Furman on January 5. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m. in Timmons Arena on the campus of Furman University.