GREENSBORO, N.C. – UNCG senior Lucy Mason (Stone Mountain, Ga./Chamblee Charter) became the all-time leading scorer Monday night with a 29-point performance in the Spartans 71-51 win over Maryland-Eastern Shore inside Fleming Gymnasium. The senior guard entered Monday's game 26 points shy of Angie Polk-Jones' 26-year old record. The Spartans improve to 7-7 overall while UMES falls to 3-11. UNCG returns to action Thursday, December 31, at 2 p.m. versus North Carolina Central.

The win also marked the 700th victory in school history, moving the Spartans record to 700-535 all time since the programs inagural season in 1969-70. 

Mason scored the Spartans first five points of the game to put UNCG up 5-2 in the opening minute. UNCG pulled ahead by as many as 11 in the opening frame to lead 20-9 with under a minute but Maryland-Eastern Shore closed out the half with a 6-0 run to trail by five, 20-15, after the first quarter.

UMES continued to chip away and brought the game within two possessions at 8:20, with a layup from Taylor Thompson to make it 22-18. UNCG pulled ahead once again but the Hawks were resilient and fought to trail 33-29 at the half.

Mason led all scorers with 13 points and four rebounds while sophomore Keli Foster (Hampton, Va./Bethel) was the only other player in double figures with 10 points. UNCG shot 38.7 percent from the field and held UMES to 34.4 percent. The Spartans were a perfect six-for-six from the free throw line and won the battle on the boards outrebounding the Hawks 21-18.

A trey by Thompson to open the half made it a one-point game, 33-32. Both teams exchanged baskets once again bringing the game within one at 7:38 but UNCG used a 7-0 run over the next four minutes to lead by eight, 42-34, with under three minutes to play. At the end of the third, the Spartans led 46-40.

UNCG was hot in the fourth frame, outscoring UMES 25-11. Mason put UNCG ahead 16 with a three-point play at 2:43, in which she was fouled on a made jump shot. Mason's extra point would tie Polk-Jones' record for 1,585 career points. Two minutes later Mason took sole possession of the career-points record with a trey just in front of the Spartans bench, making it a 23-point game. UNCG held on to win by 20 points for its third win of the season by 20-or-more points.

Mason, who leads Southern Conference and ranks fourth in the nation in points per game, led all scorers with 29 points. Foster flirted with her first career double-double but came up shy with 10 points and seven rebounds. Her ten points were also just one point shy of tying her career record set earlier this season against Barton.

UNCG held the Hawks to 28.6 percent from the field in the second half and 31.3 percent overall in the win. UNCG tallied 50 rebounds while UMES had just 33. Shanese Harris (Chesapeake, Va./Western Branch) had a game-high 11 rebounds while tallying six points as well. Three players led the way for Maryland-Eastern Shore with seven points apiece.

The Spartans return to action for a New Year's Eve matinee when they host North Carolina Central at 2 p.m. inside Fleming Gymnasium. The UNCG athletics department and women's basketball program will honor Mason with a brief ceremony prior to tip-off.

Fans can stay up to date with UNCG's women's basketball team by logging on to UNCGSpartans.com or following @uncgwbb on Twitter.

-UNCG-