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Women’s Basketball Set for Trip to Cullowhee

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) women's basketball team will continue The Southern Conference (SoCon) slate at Western Carolina on Saturday for a 2:00 p.m. tip-off in Cullowhee, North Carolina, at the Liston B. Ramsey Regional Activity Center.

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) women's basketball team will continue The Southern Conference (SoCon) slate at Western Carolina on Saturday for a 2:00 p.m. tip-off in Cullowhee, North Carolina, at the Liston B. Ramsey Regional Activity Center.
 

Game 19: UNC Greensboro (12-6, 3-1 SoCon) at Western Carolina (11-8, 1-3 SoCon)
Date Saturday, Jan. 25
Time 2:00 p.m.
Location Cullowhee, North Carolina (Liston B. Ramsey Regional Activity Center)
Tickets Purchase Here
Coverage Live Stats: Live Stats Video: ESPN+
Social Media Twitter: @uncgwbb Instagram: @uncgwbb Facebook: UNCGWomen'sBasketball

LAST TIME OUT FOR THE SPARTANS

  • The Spartans went 1-1 in their first conference road games last week after falling at Wofford, 62-39, on Thursday, but securing a 64-54 win over Furman on Saturday.
  • Tasia Johnson led the Spartans by registering a career-best 13 points and eight rebounds against the Paladins.
  • Jayde Gamble and Nya Smith rounded out the double-figure scoring for the Spartans with 12 and 10 points, respectively.
  • Jaila Lee led the Spartans with a career-best five assists.
  • Johnson and Khalis Cain led the way with eight boards each.
  • UNCG shot 41.6 percent from behind the arc, going 10-for-21.
  • The Spartans bested the Paladins in points off turnovers (14-7) and bench points (18-6).

ABOUT THE SPARTANS

  • UNCG is 12-6 overall and 3-1 in the SoCon, sitting at second place in the league.
  • The Spartans are undefeated at home with a 9-0 mark in Fleming Gym.
  • The Blue & Gold are leading the SoCon in six categories: bench points per game (27.8), scoring defense (51.6), scoring margin (14.4), steals per game (10.6), turnover margin (4.44) and turnovers forced per game (19.33).
  • The team is in the top-50 nationally in eight categories: scoring defense (2nd), bench points per game (19th), turnovers forced per game (37th), fouls per game (44th), steals per game (45th), turnover margin (49th), scoring margin (49th) and field goal percentage defense (50th).
  • UNCG is besting its opponents across several categories: points (1187-928), field goals (428-342), three-pointers (112-84), free throws (219-160), rebounds (652-557), assists (201-183), points off turnovers (19.8-10.8) and steals (190-114).
  • Gamble is second in the league with 44 steals and a 2.44 steals per game average.
  • Gamble paces the team with 220 points, 87 field goals, 53 assists and 44 steals.
  • Smith stands out from behind the arc with 26 three-pointers.
  • Lee paces the squad at the charity stripe with 50 free throws for a 71.4 free throw percentage.
  • Cain leads the Spartans defensively with 118 boards and 15 blocks.
  • After leading the team's game against Carolina University with 10 rebounds, Cain surpassed 1,000 rebounds in her collegiate career. She is the third player in program history to reach the 1,000 career rebounds milestone and leads the Division I era in total rebounds.
  • Cain is the all-time leading blocker in UNCG program history with 167 total blocks in her career.
  • Gamble tallied her 1,000th career point at the free throw line at 1:29 in the fourth quarter in the team's game against ETSU on Jan. 9 in Greensboro. 659 of those points came at UNCG, while 341 were achieved in her first two seasons at UNC Wilmington.
  • Smith was named the SoCon Player of the Week on Dec. 24 after leading the Spartans with 19 points and five boards at Wake Forest on Dec. 20.
  • The Spartans went 21-12 overall and 8-6 in league play during the 2023-24 season.
  • UNCG appeared in the SoCon Championship for the seventh time in program history last season, falling to Chattanooga, 69-60.
  • The 2024-25 roster features 10 returners and five newcomers with three transfers and two freshmen.
  • Three of last year's starters have returned this season in Cain, Gamble and Nia Howard.
  • Head Coach Trina Patterson is in her ninth season at the helm of the Blue & Gold.
  • Patterson tallied her third season achieving 20 or more wins last year, leading UNCG to finish second in the regular season.
  • The Spartans were picked to finish second in the 2024-25 SoCon Preseason Coaches' Poll with one first-place vote.
  • Cain and Gamble were selected to the SoCon Preseason All-SoCon Team. 

SCOUTING WESTERN CAROLINA

  • Currently sitting at fifth place in the SoCon, Western Carolina comes into Saturday's matchup with an 11-8 overall record and 1-3 mark in league play.
  • Western Carolina dropped both its SoCon contests last week with an 82-73 loss at Furman last Thursday and most recently a 66-53 loss at Wofford on Saturday.
  • The Catamounts pace the conference in field goal percentage (45.0), free throws made per game (13.58), defensive rebounds per game (26.6) and scoring offense (73.9).
  • The squad is 49th in the nation with a 75.7 free throw percentage.
  • Jada Burton is leading the SoCon with 98 assists, 5.2 assists per game and one triple-double.
  • Tyja Beans paces the league with seven double-doubles, a 55.4 field goal percentage and 164 rebounds.
  • Avyonce Carter is the best scorer in the SoCon with 272 points and a 14.4 points per game average.
  • Western Carolina is outscoring its opponents, 1404-1317.
  • Carter and Burton have both earned a SoCon Player of the Week selection in the 2024-25 season.
  • The Catamounts were picked to finish eighth in the 2024-25 SoCon Preseason Coaches' Poll.
  • Jonathan Tsipis is in his first year as the head coach of the Catamounts.
  • Western Carolina concluded the 2023-24 season with a 6-24 overall record and 1-13 mark in SoCon play.
  • Western Carolina and UNCG played two similar opponents in the non-conference schedule with both teams notching wins over USC Upstate and UNC Asheville.

SERIES HISTORY VS WESTERN CAROLINA
The Catamounts hold the two-game edge over the Spartans in the overall meetings at 40-38. UNCG went 1-1 against Western Carolina last season after falling, 78-71, in Cullowhee on Feb. 3, 2024, but defeating the Catamounts in Greensboro, 61-54, on March 2, 2024.

PURCHASE UNCG GEAR 
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UNCG Women's Basketball Home Ticket Information 
To secure your tickets for UNCG women's basketball home games click HERE for options including single games, group discounts and full season ticket options.  All 14 home games will be played on campus in Fleming Gymnasium. UNCG faculty/staff and students are free with their ID. To learn more about upcoming ticket promotions or to purchase over the phone call the UNCG Ticket Office at 336-334-3250. 

UP NEXT
The Spartans return home to host Mercer on Thursday, Jan. 30 at 7:00 p.m. and Samford on Saturday, Feb. 1 at 2:00 p.m. in Fleming Gymnasium.

Thursday's game against the Bears will be Military and First Responders Appreciation: Military and First responders receive free admission with valid work ID and up to four of their guests receive the discounted ticket rate of $5! Faculty and Staff Appreciation Game: UNCG fac/staff receive a free boxed lunch with RSVP to the game!

In Saturday's game against the Bulldogs, Fleming Gymnasium will celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day! 

Girls ages 5-16 are encouraged to join the Greensboro Parks and Recreation Department and UNCG Center for Women's Health and Wellness to celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day on Feb. 1 at the UNCG Middle College Gymnasium. Participants 12 and under receive free admission to the game afterwards. Click here for more information on the event.