GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) women's basketball team will begin The Southern Conference (SoCon) road schedule at Wofford on Thursday at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off. The Spartans will stay on the road to face Furman on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. in Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
 

 
 
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE SPARTANS

• The Spartans most recently started off week one of SoCon play with wins over ETSU, 64-43, and Chattanooga, 62-48.
• Saturday's win over the Mocs marks the second consecutive year that the Spartans have started out 2-0 in conference play.
• Jaila Lee and Nya Smith led Saturday's game with 13 points apiece. Makiah Asidanya followed closely behind with 10 points.
• Lee's 13 points marked her 13^th game this season reaching double figures.
• Yacine N'Diaye led the game with a career-best nine rebounds and added two blocks.

ABOUT THE SPARTANS

• UNCG is 11-5 overall and 2-0 in the SoCon, sitting at first place in the league.
• The Spartans are undefeated at home with a 9-0 mark in Fleming Gym.
• UNCG is leading the nation with a 50.8 scoring defense.
• The Blue & Gold are leading the SoCon in seven categories: bench points per game (28.8), fouls per game (14.1), scoring defense (50.8), scoring margin (17.0), steals per game (11.3), turnover margin (5.19) and turnovers forced per game (20.63).
• The team is in the top-50 nationally in seven categories: scoring defense (1^st), bench points per game (16^th), fouls per game (25^th), steals per game (32^nd), turnover margin (36^th), scoring margin (36^th) and turnovers forced per game (37^th).
• UNCG is besting its opponents across several categories: points (1084-812), field goals (393-300), three-pointers (98-78), free throws (200-134), rebounds (574-478), assists (185-167), points off turnovers (21.2-11.4) and steals (181-105).
• Gamble is second in the league with 42 steals and a 2.63 steals per game average. Her 42 steals puts her at 35^th in the country, while her 2.63 steals per game average ranks her at 37th nationally.
• Gamble paces the team with 206 points, 81 field goals, 48 assists and 42 steals.
• Smith stands out from behind the arc with 22 three-pointers.
• Lee paces the squad at the charity stripe with 48 free throws for a 72.7 free throw percentage.
• Khalis Cain leads the Spartans defensively with 107 boards and 14 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 166 in her career.
• Gamble tallied her 1,000^th 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 WOFFORD

• The Terriers come into Thursday's contest with a 9-5 overall record and 1-0 mark in conference action.
• Wofford snagged a 68-51 win over Furman on Sunday to begin SoCon play in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
• Wofford and UNCG played two similar opponents in the non-conference campaign with both teams gaining wins over UNC Asheville and Appalachian State.
• The Terriers are pacing the SoCon in assist/turnover ratio (0.94), field goal percentage defense (36.9), three-point attempts per game (26.6) and three-pointers per game (8.0).
• Wofford stands out in the top-50 in the country among five categories: three-point attempts per game (20^th/26.6), field goal percentage defense (40^th/36.9), bench points per game (42^nd/26.2), three-pointers per game (45^th/8.0) and steals per game (47^th/10.5).
• Evangelia Paulk is leading the SoCon with 50 steals and a 3.57 steals per game average. Paulk's 3.57 steals per game puts her at fifth in the country and her 50 total steals ranks her at 13^th.
• Paulk leads the Terriers with 148 points, 55 field goals, 101 rebounds and 50 steals.
• Molly Masingale and Helen Matthews stand out from behind the arc with 19 three-pointers apiece.
• Mia Flor, Queen Ikhiuwu and Matthews lead the squad with seven rebounds each.
• Paulk was named SoCon Women's Basketball Player of the Week on Tuesday after tallying 18 points and 11 rebounds in the team's win over Furman on Sunday.
• Currently sitting in second place behind UNCG, Wofford was tabbed as the preseason favorite to win the SoCon women's basketball title for the 2024-25 season.
• Rachel Rose was named SoCon Preseason Player of the Year, while Rose and Matthews were both selected to SoCon Preseason All-Conference Team.
• Head Coach Jimmy Garrity is in his ninth season at the helm of the Terriers. He led the team to a 17-13 overall record and 8-6 mark in conference play last season.
• Wofford will close out the week by hosting Western Carolina on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. in Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium.

SERIES HISTORY VS WOFFORD
The Spartans are 40-21 in the overall series against the Terriers. The two teams split the regular season meetings last year. UNCG defeated Wofford in Greensboro, 67-58, on Jan. 11, 2024, while Wofford defeated UNCG, 66-60, in Spartanburg, South Carolina, on Feb. 10 2024. The Spartans and Terriers last faced off in the 2024 SoCon Semifinal matchup with UNCG taking the 72-62 win over Wofford to improve to the SoCon Championship game.
 
SCOUTING FURMAN

• Currently in sixth place in the league, the Paladins come into the week with a 10-7 overall record and 0-1 mark in the SoCon.
• Furman dropped its SoCon opener at Wofford, 68-51, on Sunday.
• Furman and UNCG have competed against four of the same opponents in the non-conference schedule. The Spartans and Paladins both secured victories over South Carolina State, USC Upstate, UNC Asheville, but fell to Georgia.
• The Paladins are leading the conference in rebound margin (9.4), offensive rebounds per game (15.5) and rebounds per game (41.41).
• The team's 15.5 offensive rebounds per game puts them at 18^th in the country, while their 9.4 rebound margin ranks them at 19^th.
• Kate Johnson paces the SoCon with a 4.3 offensive rebounds per game average and a 60.4 field goal percentage.
• Sydney Ryan leads the league with 105 three-point attempts this season.
• Ryan is second in the conference with 37 three-pointers and a 2.18 three-pointers per game average.
• Johnson leads the 'Dins with 197 points, 81 field goals, 122 rebounds and 17 blocks.
• Ryan and Johnson stand out at the charity stripe with 35 made free throws.
• Tate Walters paces the team with 64 dimes and 36 steals.
• Furman was selected to finish in a tie for third place with Samford in the 2024-25 SoCon Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• Johnson, Walters and Jada Session were all selected to the 2024-25 Preseason All-SoCon Team.
• Head Coach Pierre Curtis is in his second season with the Paladins. In his first season last year, Curtis led Furman to a 15-16 overall record and 5-9 finish in conference.
• Furman will host Western Carolina on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. in Hayes Gym before welcoming in the Spartans on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. in Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

SERIES HISTORY VS FURMAN
UNCG leads in the overall series against Furman at 33-27. The Spartans have won the last five meetings with the Paladins. UNCG defeated Furman in all three contests last season. First with a 70-55 win in Greensboro, second with a 59-56 victory in Greenville and finally in a 64-44 win in the SoCon Quarterfinal round in Asheville.

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UNCG Women's Basketball 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 will continue on the road to take on Western Carolina on Saturday, Jan. 25 at 2:00 p.m. in Cullowhee, North Carolina, for the team's lone game next week.