GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Wofford women’s basketball team battled late in the fourth period to force overtime and picked up their first road victory and Southern Conference win of the season, a 58-56 OT win over the UNCG Spartans Wednesday night at Fleming Gymnasium.
Trailing 50-45 with 2:34 left in the game, the Terriers (7-11, 1-3 SoCon) held defensively down the stretch, forcing two crucial turnovers in the final two minutes. Guard Chanel Stokes sunk a layup with :52 seconds to go, and on the next UNCG possession, guard Ashton Fleming stole a pass and called timeout with :29 seconds left.
On the Terriers next possession, guard Maria Corella gathered the ball with ten seconds left and dribbled to avoid the Spartan defenders, launching a three that banked in with four seconds on the clock, tying the game at 50-50.
UNCG guard Lucy Mason attempted a shot at the end of regulation that Fleming blocked, forcing overtime. The teams traded free throws to start the extra period before Grayson Pinholster sunk a layup in the paint to give the Terriers a two-point lead with 2:42 left.
Two UNCG free throws from Mason tied the game, but the Terriers were able to retake the lead when Fleming was fouled and sunk one of two free throws.
Pinholster made another layup to make it 57-54 Terriers with :40 seconds left, giving her four points in the overtime period.
After the Spartans made a layup to make it a one-point game, UNCG forced a turnover and called timeout. The Terriers, however, stole the ball right back before being tied up in a jump ball situation which gave the ball back to UNCG. Mason got the ball and started to drive, but Fleming stepped in front and took the charge with one second left to give Wofford possession.
Guard Sarah Traynor sank a free throw after gathering the inbound pass and drawing a foul that sealed the game for the Terriers.
Pinholster and guard Jordan Frazier led the way for the Terriers offensively. Each finished with 14 points, with Pinholster gathering a team-high nine rebounds and blocking a season-high four shots, while Frazier had a season-high six steals as well.
Mason, the SoCon’s leading scorer entering the night averaging 24.0 ppg, finished with a team-high 14 points for the Spartans on 4-19 shooting.
Both teams played tenacious defense, as the teams combined for 64 turnovers and 44 steals. Wofford had 19 steals and a season-high eight blocks, forcing UNCG into 28 turnovers during the game. They also held the Spartans to just 29 percent shooting from the field in the game and 18.8 percent from three-point range.
Frazier made another milestone as well in the victory. She passed Catherine Rader ‘95 for 11th place in career points in Wofford history. She now has 1, 028 points in 100 games played and is 47 away from tying the 10th place holder (Teri Snelling ’85).
The Terriers also outrebounded UNCG in the game 46-44. The Terriers shot 34.5 percent from the field, but only went 3-20 (15 percent) from three.
Wofford continues its road stretch this weekend when the team travels to Cullowhee, N.C., to take on SoCon-foe Western Carolina. Tipoff Saturday is set for 2 p.m.