UNCG 60, Wofford 51
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Senior Monique Floyd scored a career-high 26 points and UNCG forced 31 turnovers as the Spartans picked up a 60-51 road win over Southern Conference foe Wofford on Saturday.
Floyd finished 9-for-12 from the floor, including just her third career 3-pointer, and added seven rebounds and five steals. Freshman Janae' Stevenson added 11 points for the Spartans, who improved to 10-10 overall and 7-5 in the SoCon. The 10 wins matched UNCG's total from all of last season.
Wofford freshman Logan Morris had 16 points to match the career high she set in the Terriers' first meeting against UNCG this season. Mahagony Williams had 11 points before fouling out with about 4 minutes to play, while Daniella Motley pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds for Wofford (6-13, 2-9 SoCon).
Floyd scored 16 of her points after halftime, helping the Spartans rally from a six-point deficit. UNCG took a 22-21 lead into the half, but Wofford started the second frame on a 9-2 run to open up its biggest lead of the game.
The score was 32-26 in the Terriers' favor after the teams traded baskets, but Floyd was about to take over. The Fairmont, N.C., native grabbed an offensive rebound and dropped in a layup, then hit a pair of free throws on UNCG's next possession. A couple of possessions later, Floyd hit her only 3-point attempt of the afternoon to cap her own 7-0 run and put the Spartans back on top to stay at 33-32 with 13:58 left.
A little later, the Spartans followed a 10-1 run to blow the game open, with Stevenson and fellow freshman Breonna Patterson scoring three points each in the spurt. Wofford suffered through a field goal drought of 7 minutes, 8 seconds as the Spartans pulled away.
UNCG would lead by as many as 12 in the final minute before the Terriers got their deficit back into single digits.
The Spartans scored 26 points off of Wofford's 31 turnovers, but let the Terriers hang around by not converting at the free throw line. UNCG shot just 55.6 percent from the stripe, connecting on just 15 of its 27 attempts.
UNCG had a lengthy scoring drought of its own in the first half, going 5:13 between field goals in the middle of the frame. Wofford took full advantage, turning a five-point deficit into a four-point lead while UNCG's offense sputtered.
As was the case most of the afternoon, Floyd got the bucket UNCG needed when it needed it, as her jumper broke the scoreless streak and pulled the Spartans within two. After a Dayshaun Richbow basket tied it, Floyd added a layup to put UNCG back on top, 17-15. The teams would trade baskets the rest of the half, which saw seven lead changes.
Floyd's career-high output surpassed the 23 points she scored against Furman on Dec. 20, 2010. She finished the game with 998 career points, meaning she needs just two to become the 22nd player in school history to reach the 1,000 plateau.
The contest also handed Agee the 599th win of her storied career. With UNCG's next win, Agee will become just the 13th active Division I coach to reach 600 victories.
Agee and Floyd will chase their respective milestones when UNCG faces Furman in Greenville, S.C., on Monday. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
NOTES: Junior Jazz Weaver picked up the first start of her career Saturday, filling in for the injured Amanda Leigh. Leigh had started 25 straight contests dating back to last season. ... Junior Agneta Morkunaite pulled down a career-high six rebounds, doubling her previous career high. ... Wofford's 31 turnovers were the most forced by UNCG since the Spartans badgered High Point into 33 on Nov. 21, 2009.
Elon 76, Western Carolina 49
CULLOWHEE, N.C. - The Elon University women's basketball team found the hot hand of Kelsey Evans early and often on Saturday afternoon, Jan. 29, at the Ramsey Center in Cullowhee, as the Raleigh, N.C. native's career day lifted the Phoenix to a 76-49 victory over the Western Carolina Catamounts.
Evans poured in a career-best 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field and 6-of-6 shooting from the free throw line to help lead the Phoenix (15-6, 9-3) attack. Evans nearly tied her career-high mark in rebounds, as she dominated the glass with a game-high 15 boards.
The 27-point victory for Elon is the team's largest over a Southern Conference opponent since joining the league in 2003-04. The last time Elon topped a league opponent by 27 or more points was in 2002 when the Phoenix recorded a 27-point victory over UNC Asheville when the team was a member of the Big South.
Ali Ford scored 17 points in the win on 5-of-11 shooting from the field and 4-of-5 shooting from the free throw line, while Julie Taylor was the third Phoenix player in double figures with 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting.
Elon shot 52.6 percent from the field and 86.7 percent from the free throw line in the win, while limiting the Catamounts to 20.4 percent clip from the field, including a 1-of-12 mark from beyond the arc. The Phoenix held the Catamounts to just 11 field goals in the win, which tied a season-low for WCU.
Lei Lei Hairston gave the Phoenix an 11-point advantage with 10:28 to play in the first half after Aiesha Harper found her under the basket for a layup, giving Elon a 20-9 lead.
Elon carried all the momentum and a 38-19 lead into the locker room at intermission behind a game-high 18 points from Evans on 6-of-7 shooting from the field and a 6-for-6 performance at the free throw line.
The Elon defense held the Catamounts to a 13.8 percent clip from the field in the opening frame, forcing WCU into 14 turnovers and a 0-of-8 mark from beyond the arc.
Evans scored her career-high 22nd point with 10:13 to play in the second half after her left-handed hook shot in the lane put the Phoenix up, 54-32.
The Elon offense kept its foot on the gas in the second half, going up by as many as 32 points on Western Carolina to secure the victory and remain in second place in the league standings.
Elon has won nine of its last 10 games in conference play, while the team's 15 victories mark the most by the Phoenix since the 2003-04 season.
Elon is back in action on Monday night, Jan. 31, for its second of three straight road games when the Phoenix takes on Davidson. Tip is set for 7 p.m. inside John M. Belk Arena.
Appalachian State 85, Furman 67
BOONE, N.C. -- Ashlen Dewart scored 19 points and Appalachian State used a second half surge to take control on the way to an 85-67 victory over Furman in Southern Conference women's basketball action Saturday afternoon at the Holmes Center.
Dewart converted 8-of-11 field goal attempts, drained 3-of-4 free throws, and claimed seven rebounds in 24 minutes of action to pace Appalachian State (16-4, 10-2 SoCon) to its seventh consecutive victory and 17th straight home triumph.
Furman (8-12, 4-7 SoCon) was led by Kelly O'Connor with 14 points. Kendra Berry finished with 11 points and game high 11 rebounds, and Raegan Thompson accounted for 10.
Anna Freeman trailed Dewart with 17 points, Canesha Edward had 14 points, and Courtney Freeman 10 points for the Mountaineers, who won for only the fourth time in the last 11 clashes against the Paladins in Boone.
Furman trailed 41-34 at intermission but used a 9-2 run to cut ASU's lead to two points at 45-43 following an O'Connor 3-pointer at the 17:10 mark.
The Mountaineers responded with their own surge, a 10-0 run, fueled by a pair of baskets by Sam Ramirez and Anna Freeman, and a layup by Courtney Freeman, to stretch their advantage to 55-43 and with 14:26 remaining.
A three-point play by Furman's Kaitlin Murphy cut the lead to 55-46, but ASU countered with a decisive 15-3 spurt that gave the Mountaineers a 70-49 cushion and total control of the contest.
Appalachian State failed to make a 3-pointer in the game, missing on seven tries, but cleaned up inside the arc, shooting 47.9 percent from the field (35-of-73) and outscoring the Paladins 52-24 in the paint.
Furman, meanwhile, connected on 24-of-67 shots (35.8 percent).
ASU forged a 46-41 rebounding advantage.
Saturday's game represented the ninth road game in the 11 outings for Furman, which will now return to Greenville to open a season long six-game home stand on Monday night against UNC Greensboro. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. at Timmons Arena.
Notes: ASU's 10 SoCon wins tie for the third most in school history ... the 16 overall wins tie the 2010-11 Mountaineers for the sixth most overall in school history ... the home win is ASU's 16th straight, which is the 11th longest home winning streak in NCAA Division I ... the win over Furman is ASU's first this season and third over the Paladins in the past four meetings ... ASU is now on a six game winning streak its longest of the 2010-11 season ... Ashlen Dewart is now 137 points away from 1,000 ... Sam Ramirez needs just eight points to move into sole possession of fifth on ASU's all-time scoring list.
Samford 78, College of Charleston 48
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Samford senior guard Emily London scored 14 points to lead four players in double figures as the Bulldog women's basketball team earned a 78-48 Southern Conference win over the College of Charleston Saturday afternoon at the Pete Hanna Center.
Behind London for Samford, Savannah Hill scored 13 points. Paige Anderson and Ruth Ketcham added 10 points each. Shelby Campbell scored nine points and Jazmine Martin added eight points for the Bulldogs. Ketcham led the team in rebounding with nine. All 13 players on the Samford roster played and 10 of them scored in the win.
For Charleston, Janae Smith led the way with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Megan Fischer scored eight points, while Tonia Gerty and Alyssa Frye added six points apiece for the Cougars.
Samford jumped out on top early, racing out to an 11-2 lead with 14:17 to go in the first half after a three-point play by Hill. Charleston fought back to cut the lead to five points at 14-9 with 10:17 to go in the first half. Samford, however, scored the next six points to take an 11-point lead at 20-9 with 7:24 to go in the half following a pair of free throws by London.
With Samford leading, 28-18, the Bulldogs went on a 7-0 run to take a 35-18 lead with 23 seconds to go in the first half after a pair of free throws by Ketcham. A late jumper by Charleston's Gerty cut the Samford lead to 35-20 heading into halftime.
Samford opened the second half with a 10-1 run to push its lead to 45-21 with 16:22 to go in the game after a layup by Hannah Dawson. Charleston fought back to cut the lead to 20 points at 49-29 with 14:17 to go in the game.
With Samford leading, 53-32, the Bulldogs went on an 11-3 run to increase its lead to 29 at 64-35 with 6:54 left in the game after a jumper by Campbell. Charleston could get no closer than 24 points the rest of the way as Samford came away with the 30-point win, 78-48.
As a team, Samford made 50.0 percent of its shots, including 43.5 percent from three-point range. Charleston made 32.8 percent of its shots and 22.2 percent from beyond the arc. The Cougars out-rebounded the Bulldogs, 37-34.
Samford will be back in action on Monday, Jan. 31, when the Bulldogs play host to Georgia Southern. The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start from the Pete Hanna Center.