GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) women's basketball team will conclude its 2024-25 home schedule by hosting Western Carolina on Saturday, Feb. 22 at 2:00 p.m. in Fleming Gymnasium.
 
Saturday's game will be Senior Day. Fleming Gym will recognize Jayde Gamble, Nasia Powell, Kennedy Simpson, Khalis Cain, Jailah Clark-Jones and Nia Howard for their hard work and dedication to the UNCG women's basketball program following Saturday's game against the Catamounts.
 
In addition, during Saturday's matchup, Angie Polk-Jones will be recognized in a special ceremony. Polk-Jones has the first jersey to be retired in UNCG program history and was a force during her student-athlete tenure from 1985-89.
 

  
 
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE SPARTANS

• The Spartans went 2-0 at home last week after taking down Furman, 55-51, on Thursday and Wofford, 68-60, on Saturday.
• With the team's win over Wofford on Saturday and Samford's win over Wofford Thursday night, UNCG gained a three-game first-place lead in the SoCon standings.
• Three Spartans registered double-figures against the Terriers. Makiah Asidanya led both teams with a new career-best 20 points. Nya Smith chipped in 13 points. Cain recorded her seventh double-double of the season and 22^nd of her career with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
• Asidanya notched a career-high four three-pointers.
• Yacine N'Diaye chipped in a career-best eight points.
• Asidanya recorded seven boards in the game.
• Gamble paced the Spartans with five dimes.
• Cain led the way with two blocks.
• UNCG bested Wofford in points in the paint (34-24), points off turnovers (15-12), second chance points (18-15) and bench points (41-17).

ABOUT THE SPARTANS

• UNCG is 19-6 overall and 10-1 in the SoCon, sitting at first place in the conference standings.
• UNCG is off to its best start in SoCon play since the 2001-02 season. That team started off conference action 11-1 and finished the regular season 14-4.
• The Spartans are undefeated at home with a 13-0 mark in Fleming Gym for their best home start in any regular season in UNCG women's basketball program history.  
• UNCG is on a 17-game winning streak at home and is 28-1 over the past two seasons for the best home record in the SoCon.
• UNCG is in the top 50 nationally in five categories including, scoring defense (3^rd/52.2), bench points per game (16^th/27.4), field goal percentage defense (36^th/37.3), fouls per game (43^rd/14.3) and scoring margin (48^th/13.5).
• The Spartans are pacing the SoCon in six categories: bench points per game (27.4), fouls per game (14.3), scoring defense (52.2), scoring margin (13.5), steals per game (9.9) and turnovers forced per game (18.28).
• Cain is leading the league with 210 rebounds and a 4.3 offensive rebounds per game average. Her 4.3 offensive boards per game average puts her at 11^th in the nation. She is second in the conference with 8.4 rebounds per game.
• Gamble is second in the SoCon with 58 steals and a 2.32 steals per game average.
• UNCG is besting its opponents across several categories: points per game (65.7-52.2), field goals per game (23.2-19.1), three-pointers per game (6.2-4.6), rebounds per game (36.4-31.2), assists per game (11.0-9.9), steals per game (9.9-6.2) and blocks per game (2.8-2.7).
• Gamble paces the team with 308 points, 119 field goals, 75 assists and 58 steals.
• Jaila Lee leads the squad at the charity stripe with 66 made free throws and a 73.3 free throw percentage.
• Smith stands out from behind the arc with 44 three-pointers.
• Cain earned her second SoCon Player of the Week of her career (Jan.28) after registering a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds in a 66-58 win over Western Carolina (Jan. 25). 
• Smith was named the SoCon Player of the Week (Dec. 24) after leading the Spartans with 19 points and five boards at Wake Forest (Dec. 20). 
• 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 182 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.
• 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 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

• Western Carolina heads to Greensboro with a 12-14 overall record and 2-9 mark in the conference to sit at last place in the SoCon standings.
• The Catamounts were on an eight-game losing streak until they most recently defeated Furman, 70-57, on Saturday in their final home game of the season.
• Western Carolina stands out nationally at the charity stripe as the team is 27^th in the country with a 76.9 free throw percentage and 46^th with 13.81 free throws per game.
• The Catamounts pace the SoCon in assists per game (14.5), field goal percentage (44.3), free throw percentage (76.9), free throws made per game (13.81) and scoring offense (72.1).
• Jada Burton is 30^th nationally with 133 assists and 36^th with 5.1 assists per game.
• Burton paces the SoCon in assists (133), assists per game (5.1) and triple doubles (1).
• Avyonce Carters is leading the conference with 334 field goal attempts, 141 field goals, 85 free throws, 392 points and 15.1 points per game.
• Tyja Beans stands atop the SoCon with a 55.3 field goal percentage and is second with 209 boards.
• Carter (Dec. 17) and Burton (Dec. 31) have both earned one SoCon Player of the Week recognition each on the 2024-25 season.
• The Catamounts were picked to finish last 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.

SERIES HISTORY VS WESTERN CAROLINA
The Catamounts hold the one-game edge over the Spartans in the overall meetings at 40-39. UNCG defeated Western Carolina earlier this season, 66-59, in Cullowhee, North Carolina, on Jan. 25.

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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 will conclude the 2024-25 regular season schedule next week by taking on Samford on Thursday, Feb. 27 at 7:00 p.m. EST/6:00 p.m. CST in Birmingham Alabama, and Mercer on Saturday, March 1 at 2:00 p.m. in Macon, Georgia.