Women's Basketball 11/16/2014 5:44:00 PM UNCGSpartans.com

Mason's Game-Winner Gives Women's Basketball Comeback Win at CofC, 70-68

Box Score CHARLESTON, S.C. – Down by 20 points with 12 minutes left in the game, the UNCG women's basketball team made a furious rally with junior Lucy Mason (Stone Mountain, Ga./Chamblee Charter) hitting the game-winning jumper with less than a second left to give the Spartans a 70-68 comeback win inside TD Arena Sunday afternoon.

The Spartans finished with three players in double-figures as Mason led the way with 21 points (7-for-13), five rebounds and five assists. Seniors Jarae Savage (Marietta, Ga./North Cobb) and Jessica Collins (Raleigh, N.C./Wakefield/Eckerd College) each had 15 and 12 points respectively. Savage grabbed six rebounds and was 2-for-3 from three-point land. Collins had five assists and was 3-for-5 from three.

The Spartans finished the game shooting 39.3 percent from the field on 24-for-61 and was red-hot from three hitting seven threes to aid the come from behind win. The pressure defense forced 24 turnovers leading to 28 points for the Spartan offense. UNCG also had 14 fast break points holding the Cougars to just six.

With 12:02 remaining in the game, a layup by Shannon Hines gave the College of Charleston a 52-32 lead over the Spartans. UNCG would mount a comeback cutting the lead to 54-42 after a steal and layup by sophomore Shanese Harris (Chesapeake, Va/Western Branch) capping a 10-2 run with under nine minutes left.

Just two minutes later, a Cougar turnover led to another layup for Harris plus the foul. Harris would make the free throw to cut the lead to 56-50.

A key moment in the second half came when the Spartans trailed by 13 points with four minutes left but Collins and Mason made back-to-back threes to make the score 65-58.

The Blue and Gold would not go away trailing 68-63 with a minute left when Savage drained a long-distance three to make it 68-66. The College of Charleston's Erin Hall would step out of bounds giving the Spartans a chance to tie with 30 seconds left. Mason would get a look from three but was fouled giving UNCG a chance to take the lead. Mason hit two-of-three to tie the game at 68. Harris stole the ball off the inbounds leading to Mason hitting the game-winning jumper with 0.1 left on the clock.

The Spartans finished the game with 15 steals with Mason swiping five and Harris with four. Harris also had seven points and four rebounds.

In the first half, UNCG took a 10-4 lead thanks to five quick points from Mason on 2-for-2 shooting. Mason scored the first five points to give the Spartans an early lead.

College of Charleston would answer with a 9-2 run to take a 13-12 lead with 13 minutes to play capped by a layup from Jackie Luna-Castro.

Both teams continued to change the lead as the Spartans finished with 29 points but the Cougars used an 8-1 run to lead by nine at the break. The Cougars pulled down 25 rebounds in the first half, including 10 on the offensive end.

UNCG returns home to host USC Upstate in its home opener Thursday, Nov. 20 at Fleming Gym at 7 p.m.
Follow the UNCG women's basketball team all season long by logging on to www.uncgspartans.com and following the Spartans official Twitter feeds @uncgsports/@uncgwbb

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