GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) women's basketball team will return home this week to continue The Southern Conference (SoCon) campaign by hosting Mercer on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. and Samford on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. in Fleming Gymnasium.
 

 
 
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE SPARTANS

• The Spartans notched a 66-58 win over Western Carolina on Saturday in Cullowhee, North Carolina, in their lone game last week.
• Three Spartans reached double-figures in the game with Jayde Gamble leading the team with 17 points. 
• Nya Smith followed closely behind with 16 points, while Khalis Cain registered her third double-double of the season and 18^th of her career with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
• Gamble led the game with four steals.
• Cain, Gamble and Johnson each registered one block apiece.
• Saturday's game marked the 10^th game this season that three or more Spartans have registered double-figures.
• It was Gamble's 14^th game, Smith's 12^th and Cain's fifth game in double digits this season.
• UNCG bested Western Carolina in points in the paint (36-30), points off turnovers (14-10), second chance points (9-0), fast break points (4-3) and bench points (20-14).

ABOUT THE SPARTANS

• UNCG is 13-6 overall and 4-1 in the SoCon, sitting at second place in the league, just behind Wofford, which is 5-0 in conference.
• The Spartans are undefeated at home with a 9-0 mark in Fleming Gym.
• UNCG is on a 13-game winning streak at home, and is 24-1 over the past two seasons for the best home record in the SoCon.
• The Blue & Gold are leading the SoCon in seven categories: bench points per game (27.4), scoring defense (51.9), scoring margin (14.1), steals per game (10.6), turnover margin (4.63) and turnovers forced per game (19.53).
• The team is in the top-50 nationally in seven categories: scoring defense (3^rd), bench points per game (19^th), fouls per game (38^th), steals per game (45^th), turnover margin (41^st), steals per game (45^th) and scoring margin (48^th).
• UNCG is besting its opponents across several categories: points (1253-986), field goals (451-364), three-pointers (114-88), free throws (237-170), rebounds (679-585), assists (207-195), points off turnovers (19.5-10.8) and steals (201-119).
• Gamble is second in the league with 48 steals and a 2.53 steals per game average. Her 48 steals puts her at 48^th in the country, while her 2.53 steals per game average ranks her at 45th nationally.
• Gamble paces the team with 237 points, 94 field goals, 54 assists and 48 steals.
• Jaila Lee is fifth in the conference with a 1.79 steals per game average and a 72.2 free throw percentage. She paces the squad at the charity stripe with 52 made free throws.
• Cain is fifth in the league with a 6.7 rebounds per game average. She leads the Spartans defensively with 128 boards and 16 blocks.
• Smith stands out from behind the arc with 27 three-pointers.
• Cain earned her second SoCon Player of the Week of her career on Tuesday after registering a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds at Western Carolina on Saturday.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 MERCER

• Mercer heads to Greensboro at seventh place in the SoCon with a 6-14 overall record and 1-4 mark in in league play.
• The Bears went 0-2 at home last week after falling to Wofford, 61-51, on Thursday and Furman, 57-47, on Saturday.
• Mercer is second in the conference with a 2.9 average in blocks per game.
• Ashlee Locke is second in the league with a 1.53 blocks per game average and third with 29 total blocks this season. She is also fifth in the league with a 6.7 rebounds per game average.
• Ariana Bennett paces the SoCon with 62 free throws and is third in the league with a 78.5 percentage at the charity stripe.
• Bennett is the leading scorer for the Bears with 210 points and a 10.5 points per game average.
• Kayla Smith stands out from behind the arc for the team with 19 three-pointers, averaging one a game.
• The Bears and Spartans faced two similar opponents in their non-conference slate in UNC Asheville and Appalachian State. Mercer defeated UNC Asheville, 75-52, but fell to the Mountaineers, 74-61, while UNCG recorded wins over both non-conference foes.
• Mercer's lone conference victory came in its league opener with a 56-53 win over Samford on Saturday, Jan. 11 in Macon.
• The Bears were picked to finish seventh in the 2024-25 SoCon Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• Locke earned the first SoCon Player of the Week award of the 2024-25 season on Nov. 12.
• Mercer will conclude this week's road trip in Cullowhee, North Carolina, to take on the Catamounts on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

SERIES HISTORY VS MERCER
Mercer leads in the overall meetings with UNCG at 18-6. The Spartans went 1-1 against the Bears last season after falling, 72-56, in Macon on Jan. 18, but earning a 69-49 victory in Greensboro on Feb. 17.
 
SCOUTING SAMFORD

• Samford currently sits at last place in the SoCon with a 6-15 overall record and 1-4 mark in conference.
• The Bulldogs went 1-1 at home last week after defeating Furman, 77-62, on Thursday, but dropping their contest with Wofford, 84-49, on Saturday.
• Samford leads the SoCon with a 19.71 free throw attempts per game average and a 33.7 three-point percentage.
• The Bulldogs are second in the conference in bench points per game (23.9), free throws per game (12.62), three-point attempts per game (22.2) and three-pointers per game (7.5).
• Langham leads the SoCon with 262 field goal attempts and 93 free throw attempts.
• Sadie Stetson paces the conference from behind the arc with a 39.0 three-point percentage, 46 three-pointers and a 2.19 three-pointers per game average.
• Emily Bowman is 50^th nationally and second in the league with 33 blocks this season. 
• Kennedy Langham was tabbed to the Preseason All-SoCon Team. 
• The Bulldogs were slated to finish in a tie for third place with Furman in the 2024-25 SoCon Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• The Bulldogs have collected three SoCon Player of the Week awards this season with Bowman earning the feat twice and Annie Ramil most recently receiving the honor on Jan. 7.
• Samford will make a stop in Cullowhee, North Carolina, to take on Western Carolina on Thursday at 5:00 p.m. before coming to Greensboro.

SERIES HISTORY VS SAMFORD
Samford leads in the overall series against UNCG at 27-8. UNCG split its regular season meetings with Samford last year after a 62-53 loss in Birmingham on Jan. 20, but earned a 52-44 win over the Bulldogs in Greensboro on Feb. 15.

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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 hit the road to face Chattanooga on Thursday, Feb. 6 at 6:00 p.m. in McKenzie Arena and ETSU on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 1:30 p.m. in Brooks Gymnasium.