GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG women's basketball team will host NCAA Division III Greensboro College Thursday night in Fleming Gymnasium for the only exhibition game of the season. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. and admission is free to the public. Live stats will be available at UNCGSpartans.com.
The Spartans return ten members of last season's team including four starters. Lucy Mason (Stone Mountain, Ga./Chamblee Charter) enters her final season at UNCG 338 points shy of the all-time career points record. Mason scored her 1,000th career point as a junior and has tallied 1,247 points thus far in her career. She led the Spartans in scoring last season averaging 15.3 points per game.
Shanese Harris (Chesapeake, Va./Western Branch) averaged 8.0 points and 3.9 rebounds per game as a junior good for third-best on the squad. Jade Scaife (Fort Washington, Md./Archbishop Spalding) appeared in 29 games last season and shot a team-best 39.6 percent from the field. Another key returner is center Mariah Wilson (Atlanta, Ga./North Atlanta). Wilson led the Spartans with 32 blocks last year appearing in all 30 games.
Thursday night's matchup marks the 22 meeting between the two programs and first since January 27, 1987. In that meeting, the Pride defeated UNCG 84-78. UNCG leads the all-time series 19-2.
Greensboro has found a lot of success at the Division III level in recent years, reaching the NCAA Division III Tournament last season and posting a 24-5 overall record. The Pride was bounced from the tournament in an 83-61 loss to eventual D3 National Champion Thomas Moore in the first round.
Last year, GC claimed the USA South Tournament Championship with a 69-66 win over Maryville. Returning is All-Conference First Team selection Shanita Hampton and USA South Tournament Team honorees Syerra Troutman and Tiffani Stephens.
The Spartans regular season begins Friday, November 13, at home against NCAA Division II Pfieffer at 7 p.m.
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