GREENSBORO, N.C. – Lakiah Hyson and Monique Floyd shared game-high honors with 13 points each and Floyd had a pair of big steals in the last minute as UNC Greensboro topped Samford on Monday, 55-47.
Redshirt freshman Amy Clapper scored 10 points to give UNCG (4-7, 1-2 Southern Conference) three players in double figures, while Savannah Hill was the only Bulldog to reach double digits with 11 points.
With UNCG nursing a 52-47 lead and Samford (8-4, 3-2 SoCon) holding the ball with just over 30 seconds left, Floyd snuck into the passing lane and picked off Emily London's pass then raced the other way for a fastbreak layup to make it a three-possession game.
On Samford's next possession, Floyd ripped the ball away from Megan Wilderotter and Amanda Leigh ended up with it. Leigh was fouled on the ensuing breakaway, hitting the first attempt of a two-shot foul to make it an eight-point game.
The Bulldogs were only able to get off one more shot, but London's 3-point try from in front of her own bench rimmed out.
The win was UNCG's first conference win of the season as the Spartans improved to 2-2 all-time against Samford. UNCG has won three of its last four games.
The Spartans took control of the game midway through the second half. After the Bulldogs used a 10-0 run to turn a three-point deficit into a seven-point lead at 37-30, UNCG rattled off 16 straight points to seize momentum.
Floyd got the run started with a jumper, and Clapper gave the Spartans the lead for good with a three-point play at the 10:39 mark. Clapper would add another layup and Hyson converted a three-point play of her own to cap the run.
Sophomore Paige Anderson stopped the bleeding with a jumper that got the Bulldogs back within seven at 46-39 with 6:08 to play, but by that point, the Spartans were in control.
The run was an emphatic answer to the Bulldogs' 10-0 spurt. After UNCG sophomore Sarah Folwell hit a 3-pointer to snap a 27-all tie just a couple of minutes into the second half, Wilderotter hit a free throw and Alex Crow hit a 3 and a jumper to put Samford up by three. An Anderson layup and a pair of Hill free throws capped the run, giving the Bulldogs their largest second-half lead.
After UNCG took a 48-39 lead on a pair of Floyd free throws, London nailed a 3 to cut it to a six-point game. Hill added a free throw and London hit a jumper with just over two minutes left to make it a one-possession game at 48-45.
Floyd hit a pair of free throws to push UNCG's lead back to five, but Hill sank a jumper in the lane to again make it a three-point game with 45 seconds left.
The Bulldogs were forced to foul to stop the clock, and Hyson made them pay on the other end, hitting both ends of a one-and-one to make it a two-possession game with 41.3 seconds left and setting up Floyd's heroics in the final seconds.
UNCG revamped its starting lineup for the game, with Folwell and freshman Dayshaun Richbow earning their first career starts. Folwell responded with seven points and a career-best six rebounds and three blocked shots, while Richbow had five points, three boards and two assists at the point.
Floyd came off the bench for just the fourth time in her career.
UNCG will try to even its SoCon record next time out, when it takes on Georgia Southern in Statesboro, Ga., on Dec. 29. Opening tip is set for 5 p.m.
AGATE
UNC GREENSBORO 55, SAMFORD 47
SAMFORD (8-4, 3-2 SoCon)
Savannah Hill 4-8 3-4 11; Emily London 3-11 2-2 9; Alex Crow 2-7 3-4 8; Paige Anderson 3-7 0-0 7; Monica Maxwell 2-8 2-3 7; Megan Wilderotter 1-3 1-2 3; Hannah Dawson 0-4 2-2 2; Jazmine Martin 0-0 0-0 0; Jazmine Powers 0-1 0-1 0; J'Quita Babineaux 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 15-50 13-18 47.
UNC GREENSBORO (4-7, 1-2 SoCon)
Monique Floyd 4-8 5-8 13; Lakiah Hyson 4-9 5-6 13; Amy Clapper 4-5 1-1 10; Sarah Folwell 3-8 0-0 7; Dayshaun Richbow 1-4 3-4 5; Kendra Smith 2-5 0-0 4; Sidnei Harmon 0-1 2-2 2; Amanda Leigh 0-6 1-3 1; TaShama Banner 0-0 0-0 0; Agne Girstautaite 0-0 0-0 0; Brey Dorsett 0-2 0-1 0. Totals 18-48 17-25 55.
Samford 24 23 47
UNC Greensboro 25 30 55
3-point goals--Samford 4-24 (Emily London 1-6; Monica Maxwell 1-6; Paige Anderson 1-4; Alex Crow 1-2; Jazmine Powers 0-1; Hannah Dawson 0-3; Megan Wilderotter 0-1; Savannah Hill 0-1), UNC Greensboro 2-14 (Sarah Folwell 1-5; Amy Clapper 1-1; Kendra Smith 0-2; Amanda Leigh 0-4; Brey Dorsett 0-1; Lakiah Hyson 0-1). Fouled out--Samford-None, UNC Greensboro-None. Rebounds--Samford 38 (Monica Maxwell 8), UNC Greensboro 34 (Lakiah Hyson 6; Sarah Folwell 6). Assists--Samford 6 (Hannah Dawson 1; Megan Wilderotter 1; Jazmine Martin 1; Monica Maxwell 1; Savannah Hill 1; Emily London 1), UNC Greensboro 8 (Kendra Smith 2; Dayshaun Richbow 2). Total fouls--Samford 20, UNC Greensboro 17. Technical fouls--Samford-None, UNC Greensboro-None. A-238
- UNCG -
