GREENSBORO, N.C. - Monique Floyd fell a point shy of her career high with 21 points, but UNC Greensboro fell to a hot-shooting Appalachian State squad on Saturday, 72-57.
Appalachian State (8-9, 4-4 Southern Conference) got 22 points each from Sam Ramirez and Ashlen Dewart. Amanda Leigh was in double digits for the fourth straight game for the Spartans (7-10, 4-5 SoCon), as she finished with 15.
The Mountaineers were lights out from the floor in the first half, shooting a sizzling 64.3 percent (18-for-28). App cooled off a bit in the second half, but still finished with a season-best 53.7 percent showing (29-for-54).
UNCG trailed by 11 at 52-41 with 11:21 to play, but Leigh hit back-to-back 3-pointers from the wing to draw UNCG back within five.
App would push its lead back to 12 points at 64-52, but a 3 from Sarah Folwell and a Leigh jumper made it a seven-point spread with 4:30 to play.
That would be UNCG's final point of the day, however, as the Mountaineers ended the game on an 8-0 run to even their SoCon record.
Appalachian State dominated the paint, outscoring UNCG there, 34-16. Dewart was a big reason for that, as the freshman scored App's first eight points of the game, all on layups.
Ramirez complemented her well from beyond the arc, hitting a career-high six 3-pointers. The junior guard always seemed to have one to quiet a UNCG run, keeping the Mountaineers in control of the game.
When the Spartans opened the second half with back-to-back buckets from Lakiah Hyson and Floyd to cut it to five points, Ramirez hit a triple to push App's lead back to eight. She hit another big 3 just moments later to make it 47-37, putting ASU up by double digits for the first time in the second half.
After Leigh hit her pair of 3s to make it 52-47, it was Ramirez that answered with a trey of her own to give the Mountaineers some breathing room again.
UNCG led by as many as six in the first half, as Floyd had eight points in the first six minutes of the game and Folwell's jumper made it 20-14 with 11:54 to go. Appalachian State outscore UNCG 26-11 in the remainder of the first half, putting the Spartans in a 40-31 hole at the break.
The Spartans turned the ball over 20 times Saturday, snapping a streak of seven straight games with fewer than 20.
UNCG returns to action on Tuesday, Jan. 19, when it will face Furman in Greenville, S.C. Opening tip is set for 7 p.m. at the Paladins' Timmons Arena.
NOTES: UNCG has faced Appalachian State more times than any other opponent in school history. The squads have met 52 times, with UNCG holding a 28-24 lead in the all-time series. ... The Spartans had a player score 20 points for the fourth straight game, marking the first time that has happened since UNCG had a five-game stretch with at least one 20+ scorer from Feb. 19-March 4, 2000. Leigh (21 at Wofford, 20 vs. Western Carolina), Hyson (29 vs. Elon) and Floyd (21 vs. Appalachian State) have done so in consecutive games for the Spartans in the last nine days. ... Leigh's four 3-pointers on the day moved her into eighth place on UNCG's career list with 85. She now trails seventh-place Sadie Ochs (1994-98) by two. With 40 to her credit this season, Leigh needs just one more to move into the top 10 list for a single season in UNCG history. ... Hyson had two steals moving her into sole possession of ninth place on that career list. She needs seven more to catch eighth-place Brianne Dodgen (1998-02).
AGATE
APPALACHIAN STATE 72, UNC GREENSBORO 57
APPALACHIAN STATE (8-9, 4-4 SoCon)
Sam Ramirez 8-17 0-0 22; Ashlen Dewart 8-11 6-8 22; Chakeitha Weldon 3-6 0-3 6; Courtney Freeman 3-4 0-0 6; Canesha Edwards 3-7 0-0 6; Anna Freeman 2-5 2-2 6; Catherine Williams 1-2 0-0 2; Sade Means 1-1 0-0 2; Charmene Means 0-0 0-0 0; Kelsey Sharkey 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 29-54 8-13 72.
UNC GREENSBORO (7-10, 4-5 SoCon)
Monique Floyd 7-11 7-12 21; Amanda Leigh 5-15 1-2 15; Lakiah Hyson 2-5 4-4 8; Sarah Folwell 2-6 0-0 5; Amy Clapper 1-4 2-2 4; TaShama Banner 1-2 0-0 2; Agne Girstautaite 1-5 0-3 2; Dayshaun Richbow 0-3 0-1 0; Jazz Weaver 0-2 0-0 0; Kendra Smith 0-2 0-0 0; Brey Dorsett 0-5 0-0 0. Totals 19-60 14-24 57.
Appalachian State 40 32 72
UNC Greensboro 31 26 57
3-point goals--Appalachian State 6-19 (Sam Ramirez 6-13; Ashlen Dewart 0-1; Chakeitha Weldon 0-2; Anna Freeman 0-2; Kelsey Sharkey 0-1), UNC Greensboro 5-17 (Amanda Leigh 4-8; Sarah Folwell 1-3; Amy Clapper 0-1; Brey Dorsett 0-3; Lakiah Hyson 0-2). Fouled out--Appalachian State-Anna Freeman, UNC Greensboro-None. Rebounds--Appalachian State 39 (Anna Freeman 10), UNC Greensboro 36 (Monique Floyd 6). Assists--Appalachian State 17 (Sam Ramirez 6), UNC Greensboro 11 (Lakiah Hyson 3; Dayshaun Richbow 3). Total fouls--Appalachian State 17, UNC Greensboro 13. Technical fouls-Appalachian State-None, UNC Greensboro-None. A-263
- UNCG -
