GREENSBORO, N.C. – Wofford's Kelly Dwyer hit a pair of free throws with 1.1 seconds left and Lakiah Hyson's desperation 3-point attempt at the buzzer drew iron but missed as the Terriers held on for a 57-55 win over UNC Greensboro on Friday.
With the score tied at 55 and UNCG (7-17, 4-12 Southern Conference) holding the ball with the last few seconds winding down, Hyson put up a floater that missed with about three seconds left. In the scrum for the rebound, UNCG's Sarah Folwell was whistled for a foul on the Spartans' end of the floor, sending Dwyer to the line for a one-and-one with the game on the line.
Dwyer sank both attempts, beating UNCG for the second time this season. Her 3-pointer with 10.7 seconds left gave the Terriers (6-17, 4-11 SoCon) a 61-60 win over the Spartans on Jan. 8.
This time, UNCG got the ball in to Hyson just over halfcourt after Dwyer's makes, and Hyson turned, took a dribble and fired away from long range. Her attempt was tantalizingly close, hitting the rim and backboard before falling off to the side to send UNCG to its eighth straight loss.
The exciting finish capped a dramatic final 2 minutes of play.
Amanda Leigh's 3-pointer with 1:25 left tied the game at 54, and after a Monique Floyd steal, Wofford's Mahagony Williams fouled Floyd in the act of shooting.
Floyd missed both shots but UNCG came up with the offensive board, with Folwell batting the ball in the air and Hyson securing the rebound. Hyson got the ball to Floyd, who drove the lane and was fouled again. This time, she hit the second of her two free throw attempts to give the Spartans a 55-54 advantage with 35.9 seconds left.
Dwyer was fouled on a layup attempt on the other end, but missed the first attempt. She hit the second one to tie the game at 55, giving UNCG the ball back with 22.1 seconds on the clock.
UNCG called a pair of timeouts before Hyson got off her floater in the waning seconds.
The win was Wofford's first-ever in Greensboro, as the Terriers improve to 1-13 in Fleming Gym. Wofford also got its first-ever season sweep over the Spartans, winning both games this season by a combined three points.
Leigh finished with a team-high 13 points and matched her career high with seven rebounds, while Hyson had 10 points and seven rebounds of her own for the Spartans.
Williams and Dwyer finished with 16 points each for Wofford, with Williams notching the game's lone double-double with 11 rebounds.
Leigh's game-tying 3 with 1:25 left was her third of the night, giving her exactly 100 for her career and making her just the sixth player in school history to reach the century mark.
UNCG also matched a school record in the contest, blocking nine shots. Agne Girstautaite and Kendra Smith had four each, with Smith's effort doubling her previous career high. Leigh had UNCG's other block.
Friday's game was eerily reminiscent of the Jan. 8 contest, as Leigh hit a jumper in that game with 35.8 seconds left to put UNCG on top 60-58 before Dwyer's decisive 3. This time, it was Floyd's free throw with 35.9 seconds remaining that gave the Spartans the lead before Dwyer scored the last three points.
UNCG returns to action on Tuesday when it will head to Cullowhee, N.C., to face Western Carolina at noon in the Ramsey Center.
AGATE
WOFFORD 57, UNC GREENSBORO 55
WOFFORD (6-17, 4-11 SoCon)
Mahagony Williams 7-16 2-2 16; Kelly Dwyer 5-9 3-4 16; Kathlyn Varno 4-5 2-4 10; April Moorhouse 3-5 1-2 8; Rachel Brittenham 1-7 0-0 3; Natalie Gramblin 0-5 2-2 2; Domi Gergely 1-1 0-0 2; Ashley Kroker 0-4 0-0 0; Maddie Helms 0-2 0-0 0; Kristin Bradley 0-2 0-0 0; Kelly Blake 0-1 0-1 0; Mariah Masalin 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-57 10-15 57.
UNC GREENSBORO (7-17, 4-12 SoCon)
Amanda Leigh 3-11 4-6 13; Lakiah Hyson 4-14 2-2 10; Agne Girstautaite 4-7 0-0 8; Monique Floyd 1-2 5-8 7; Sarah Folwell 2-9 0-0 5; TaShama Banner 2-6 0-0 4; Kendra Smith 1-7 0-0 3; Amy Clapper 1-4 1-2 3; Brey Dorsett 1-2 0-0 2; Jazz Weaver 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 19-65 12-18 55.
Wofford 26 31 57
UNC Greensboro 26 29 55
3-point goals--Wofford 5-15 (Kelly Dwyer 3-4; Rachel Brittenham 1-4; April Moorhouse 1-1; Ashley Kroker 0-2; Maddie Helms 0-1; Kristin Bradley 0-2; Natalie Gramblin 0-1), UNC Greensboro 5-21 (Amanda Leigh 3-7; Kendra Smith 1-3; Sarah Folwell 1-6; Brey Dorsett 0-1; Jazz Weaver 0-1; Lakiah Hyson 0-3). Fouled out--Wofford-None, UNC Greensboro-None. Rebounds--Wofford 48 (Mahagony Williams 11), UNC Greensboro 37 (Lakiah Hyson 7; Amanda Leigh 7). Assists--Wofford 12 (Natalie Gramblin 4), UNC Greensboro 12 (Sarah Folwell 4). Total fouls--Wofford 15, UNC Greensboro 16. Technical fouls--Wofford-None, UNC Greensboro-None. A-251
- UNCG -
