MACON, Ga. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) women's basketball team concluded the 2024-25 Regular Season on Saturday afternoon with a dominating 76-37 win over the Mercer Bears at Hawkins Arena in The Southern Conference (SoCon) action.

With today's win over the Bears, UNCG has concluded the regular season slate 13-1 in league play for its best SoCon finish in program history.
 
In addition, UNCG's win over Mercer extended the team's winning streak to 11. The last time the Spartans tallied an 11-game win streak was in the 1996-97 season from Jan. 22 to Feb. 28.
 
Four Spartans reached double-figures in the game. Nya Smith led the way with 14 points, while Jaila Lee and Nia Howard followed with 13 points apiece. Makiah Asidanya chipped in 10 points.

HOW IT HAPPENED
At 9:35, Howard put the Spartans on the board first with a jumper from the field for a 2-0 advantage. Mercer's Ashlee Locke tied it up on the other end with a jumper at 9:07, 2-2. However, Howard responded with a triple for a 5-2 advantage to never allow Mercer to lead in the game. A tip-in layup from Khalis Cain granted UNCG with a 16-10 lead to close out the first frame.
 
The Spartans went on to outscore the Bears, 24-3, in the second quarter. UNCG also held Mercer to three points in the second quarter during the two teams meeting in Greensboro earlier this season. The Blue & Gold went 4-for-7 from downtown in the second stanza. Before heading to the locker room, Asidanya gave the team a buzzer-beating three from the logo for a 40-13 lead at the half.
 
Mercer's Ariana Bennett scored first with a jumper coming out the break before the Spartans notched six unanswered points for a 46-15 lead. Three-pointers from Jailah Clark-Jones and Howard concluded the second quarter with UNCG holding a 57-22 advantage.
 
The final frame saw Mercer's best scoring, but UNCG was still able to outscore the home team, 19-15. Saturday's contest was concluded with a three-point play from Ayanna Jackson and one final jumper from Clark-Jones to grant UNCG the 76-37 victory.

BY THE NUMBERS

• The Spartans recorded 12 three-pointers in the game for their fifth game with double-figure triples this season.
• A total of 10 different Spartans scored in the game.
• Howard and Lee went a perfect 3-for-3 from behind the arc.
• Cain led the way with six boards and two blocks.
• Kelly Boyle and Asidanya paced the team with three dimes apiece.
• UNCG bested Mercer in points in the paint (30-18), points off turnovers (20-6), second chance points (18-0), fast break points (9-2) and bench points (38-0).

RECORDS
UNCG: 22-6, 13-1 SoCon
Mercer: 8-21, 3-11 SoCon

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UP NEXT
The Spartans will enter the 2025 SoCon Tournament as the No. 1 seed facing No. 8 Western Carolina on Thursday, March 6 at 11:00 a.m. in Asheville, North Carolina, at Harrah's Cherokee Center.