The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) women’s basketball team never allowed Chattanooga to lead in a 62-48 victory on Saturday (Jan. 11) afternoon in Fleming Gymnasium.
With Saturday’s win, UNCG improves to 9-0 at home and 2-0 in The Southern Conference (SoCon).
Saturday’s win marks the second consecutive year that the Spartans have started out 2-0 in conference play.
Jaila Lee and Nya Smith led the game with 13 points apiece. Makiah Asidanya followed closely behind with 10 points.
Lee scored on the first possession of the game, giving UNCG the 2-0 advantage at 9:49 to never allow Chattanooga to lead in the contest. The Mocs’ Caia Elisaldez responded with a driving layup for the only tie of the game, 2-2. A three-pointer from Lee followed by a step-back jumper from Jayde Gamble put UNCG up, 7-2. UNCG closed out the first frame with seven consecutive points for the 21-8 advantage.
Chattanooga’s Sigrun Olafsdottir got the scoring started in the second quarter with a three-pointer before UNCG quickly quieted the Mocs with a 12-0 scoring run for the 33-11 lead. Lee drained a three-pointer and Kristina Rakotobe drove to the basket with a layup granting UNCG the 25-point advantage at the half, 38-13.
A 14-2 run to start off the third quarter gave UNCG its biggest lead of the game at 4:03 with a 37-point margin, 52-15. Nia Howard notched the buzzer-beating layup on a fast break for the 56-27 lead to close out the third stanza.
The fourth quarter looked the best for Chattanooga as it outscored UNCG, 21-6, but the Spartans maintained control. Tasia Johnson scored the last buckets of the game going 2-for-2 at the charity stripe for the 62-48 victory.
BY THE NUMBERS
UP NEXT
The Spartans will compete in their first SoCon road trip of the 2024-25 season this week by facing Wofford on Thursday, Jan. 16 at 7 p.m. in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and Furman on Saturday, Jan. 18 at 2 p.m. in Greenville, South Carolina.