New Orleans, La. – The UNCG women's basketball team (5-6) erased a 12-point deficit to overcome New Orleans (3-5) 81-79, Thursday afternoon inside the Lakefront Arena. The Spartans were led by Lucy Mason (Stone Mountain, Ga./Chamblee Charter) who had a game-high 28 points and made 17 baskets in 20 trips to the free throw line. The Spartans will have two days rest before facing Tulane Sunday at 5 p.m. (CT) in the Green Wave's home tournament.

UNCG dashed out to an early lead backed by five straight points from Shanese Harris (Chesapeake, Va./Western Branch). UNO slowly chipped away at the Spartans lead and tied the game 14-all just before the end of the first frame.

The Spartans held their lead well into the second quarter but New Orleans took its first lead of the game, 24-23, at 3:37. The two teams exchanged baskets and New Orleans appeared to have a five-point lead heading into halftime but Mason's attempt at a buzzer beater drew a foul from deep behind the arc where she was sent to the charity stripe. Mason connected on all three shots for UNCG to trail 34-32 at the break.

A 9-1 run over the course of two minutes saw UNO take the largest lead of the game on either end of the court, 53-41, with 4:07 to play.  Head Coach Wendy Palmer called for a timeout to refocus her team and it did just that. The Spartans closed out the third period on a 9-2 run to trail 55-50 with one quarter remaining.

UNCG opened the final frame on a 7-0 run to regain its lead, 56-55 with 9:09 left to play. The Privateers wouldn't back down and would tie the game for the seventh time at 62-all with 6:43 to go. Jade Scaife (Fort Washington, Md./Archbishop Spalding) put UNCG back on top at 6:28 and Keli Foster (Hampton, Va./Bethel) made it a two-possession game with a fast break jumper just outside the paint with 6:08 to play. A layup from Bria Platenburg evened the score 72-all for the eighth tie of the game but India Timpton (Charlotte, N.C./Myers Park) knocked in one of two free throws to give UNCG a one-point edge with 1:51 to play.

Foster drained trey from the corner for a four-point lead, 76-72, with under a minute to go, forcing the Privateers into a timeout. UNO responded after the pep talk and hit a three-pointer of their own to bring the game within one. Despite fouling the Privateers from three-point range and sending Randi Brown to the charity strip for three attempts with 12 seconds to go, UNCG was able to hold on for the two-point win.

Mason led all scorers and put together her tenth 20-plus point game of the season in the victory. Harris was 6-for-12 from the field and made 5-of-8 baskets from the charity stripe to tally a season-high 18 points, just two points shy of her career-best. Scaife was third in scoring with 11 points and 10 rebounds for her second double-double of the season. Foster added 10 points off the bench for UNCG including her pivotal trey with under a minute in regulation.

As a team, UNCG shot 43.1 percent from the floor and 42.9 percent from three-point range. The Spartans dished out 16 assists with Mason leading the way having seven while adding a game-high four steals.

The Privateers held a 43-38 advantage on the boards and shot 44.9 percent from the field but 35 personal fouls compared to UNCG's 19 sent the Spartans to the free throw line too many times. UNCG scored 28 of its points from the charity stripe.

UNO was led by Brown who had 21 points and five rebounds. The only other member of New Orleans' roster to score double figures was Jewel Angelo who tallied 13 points.

UNCG has two day's rest before returning to the hardwood where the Spartans will face Tulane (6-3) on the first day of the Tulane Invitational, Sunday, December 20.

-UNCG-