No. 1 Wofford 71, No. 8 Western Carolina 56

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – No. 8 seed Western Carolina jumped out to an early lead over No. 1 Wofford, but the Terriers regained the lead midway through the first quarter and never looked back, winning 71-56 in the quarterfinal round of the 2023 Ingles Southern Conference Women’s Basketball Championship at Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville. Wofford was paced by Rachel Rose with 25 points, including 17 in the first half.
 
Western Carolina won the tip and opened a 6-2 lead thanks to a pair of second-chance buckets. Wofford responded with an 11-2 run to grab the lead and did not relinquish it for the rest of the contest. The Terriers shot 48.4 percent from the field, including 42.9 percent from 3-point range, in the first half to carry a 39-29 lead into the break.
 
The Catamounts came out firing in the second half, hitting a quick layup and a 3 to cut the deficit to just five before Wofford responded with another run of its own, pushing the lead back into double figures. Both teams traded buckets for much of the second half, but the Terriers did not let up in the end, going a perfect 9-for-9 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
 
Rose dominated the scoring in the opening half, while seven different Terriers found the scoresheet in the second half, highlighted by 11 points from Helen Matthews.
 
Rose was one of four double-digit scorers for the Terriers, dropping in a game-high 25 points with five assists and four steals. Matthews and Jackie Carman each added 11 points, with Lilly Hatton nearly missing a double-double with 10 points and eight rebounds. Reagan Trumm led Western Carolina with 15 points, while Mya Love and Kyla Allison each hit double-figures with 14 and 10 points, respectively. Endia Holliday pulled down nine rebounds, as the Catamounts outrebounded Wofford 36-29.
 
The Terriers advance to play either No. 4 UNC Greensboro or No. 5 Mercer in Friday's semifinal round. That game tips off at 11 a.m. in Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
 
RECORDS: No. 1 Wofford 21-8 | No. 8 Western Carolina 9-21
 
STATS TO KNOW
- Wofford went 16-18 from the charity stripe for 89 percent, including a perfect 9-for-9 in the fourth quarter.
- The Catamounts took the rebounding battle with a 36-29 advantage and 10 second-chance points to Wofford’s two.
- Rose notched her 27th double-figure scoring game of the season and has scored at least 20 points in her last four outings.
- The Terriers won the turnover battle with a 21-11 margin, leading to 12 points off turnovers.
 
No. 4 UNCG 63, No. Mercer 59 (OT)

No. 4 seed UNC Greensboro scored the game’s first eight points and led for most of the game before No. 5 Mercer battled back to send the game into overtime. UNCG scored the final eight points to take a 63-59 win over the Bears in the quarterfinal round of the 2023 Ingles Southern Conference Women’s Basketball Championship at Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville.
 
Mercer trailed by as much as nine in the opening quarter, but the Bears fought back with a 10-4 run to cut the deficit to just three at the end of the first quarter. UNCG came out firing to start the second quarter, stretching its lead back to nine but Mercer did not back down, closing the half on an 8-2 run, with the Spartans taking a 29-26 advantage into the break. Mercer’s Enjulina Gonzalez led all scorers with 10, with eight coming in the final 2:07 minutes of the half.
           
UNCG dominated the third quarter, pushing its lead to as much as ten, and led 46-39 heading into the fourth quarter. Once again, Mercer refused to let the Spartans pull away and continued to cut into the deficit. The Bears pulled to within two on four occasions before reducing the UNCG lead to just one with a minute to play. After forcing a turnover on defense, Mercer’s Gonzalez drew a shooting foul, making one of her two attempts. She managed to grab the offensive board after missing the second attempt, but the Bears could not find the game-winner at the end of regulation. Mercer dominated the glass, coming away with a 22-10 advantage in the second half.
 
Mercer took its first lead of the contest with 4:37 left in overtime with a pair of baskets to lead it by four. UNCG responded with a 5-0 run, four of which were scored by Khalis Cain. Mercer had an opportunity to take the lead late, but UNCG forced a timely turnover with three seconds on the clock to hold on for the win.
 
Akira Wiggins dropped in 17 points with four blocks and three steals to lead the Spartans’ trio of double-digit scorers. Isys Grady and Nia Howard each contributed 14 points, respectively, while Cain had a game-high nine rebounds and four blocks. Amoria Neal-Tysor led Mercer with 18 points, while Gonzalez added 14 points and seven rebounds.
 
The Spartans advance to play No. 1 Wofford in Friday's semifinal round. That game tips off at 11 a.m. in Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
 
RECORDS: No. 4 UNCG 16-13 | No. 5 Mercer 12-16
 
STATS TO KNOW
- UNCG won its first tournament game since the 2019-20 season when it advanced to the championship game.
- Mercer held a 43-32 rebounding advantage and 21-8 margin on the offensive board, leading to 13 second-chance points.
- UNCG led for 39:55 minutes and did not trail until the overtime period.
- Both teams combined for 62 points in the paint, with Mercer knocking down the games only two made 3-pointers
 
 
2023 Ingles Southern Conference Women’s Basketball Championship
Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville, Asheville, N.C.
 
Thursday, March 2
Game 1 – No. 1 Wofford 71, No. 8 Western Carolina 56
Game 2 – No. 4 UNCG 63, No. 5 Mercer 59 (OT)
Game 3 – No. 2 Chattanooga vs. No. 7 Furman, 3:30 p.m. ^
Game 4 – No. 3 ETSU vs. No. 6 Samford, 5:45 p.m. ^
 
Friday, March 3
Game 5 – No. 1 Wofford vs. Game 2 winner, 11 a.m.*
Game 6 – Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 1:15 p.m. ^
 
Sunday, March 5
Championship Game
Game 7 – Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 12 p.m.
 
NOTE: All times Eastern. All games to be broadcast on ESPN+, with the championship game also on Nexstar.
 
* Tip-off as part of Education Day program on March 2 and March 3.
 
^ Denotes approximate game time.  The first games both days will have a firm start time. Each game thereafter will start 30 minutes following the conclusion of the preceding game but will not start prior to the listed time.