GREENSBORO, N.C. – Fleming Gymnasium has been good to Spartan women's basketball as of late, with UNCG riding its first four-game Southern Conference home winning streak since the 2006-07 season. The Spartans will see if they can take that magic with them on the road, travelling to Birmingham, Alabama Thursday for a 7:00 p.m. tipoff against Samford.
The game will be streamed live on ESPN3, while a link to live stats is available at UNCGSpartans.com.
UNCG is fifth in the SoCon with a 4-5 conference record, possessing a 13-11 mark overall. Samford is tied with Wofford and Western Carolina for sixth in the league, sitting at 2-7 in SoCon play and 9-15 overall.
UNCG is coming off of a dominating second-half performance in its 65-52 victory over Furman on Saturday. The Spartans outscored the Paladins 25-7 in the third quarter to take control of the game. The Spartans were led by freshmen Alexis Pitchford (Orlando, Fla./Winter Park) and Te'ja Twitty (Rutherfordton, N.C./Rutherfordton-Spindale Central). Pitchford paced the Spartans with 16 points, while Twitty posted her fourth double-double of the season with 12 points and 14 rebounds.
UNCG turned up the pressure on the Paladins, forcing Furman into 22 turnovers with a relentless press. Those takeaways turned into 20 points for the Blue and Gold and allowed UNCG to take 15 more shots than the Paladins.
The Bulldogs have lost their last three games, including a narrow 51-45 defeat at the hands of league-leading Chattanooga on Saturday. The Bulldogs' inability to get to the foul line proved to be a downfall, as SU attempted just five shots from the charity stripe, compared to 23 free throws for the Mocs. Katie Allen led the Bulldogs with nine points, while Lydia McGee chipped in eight points and nine boards.
The two sides are on opposite sides of the spectrum when it comes to defensive field goal percentage. UNCG ranks second in the league, holding opponents to 37.1-percent from the floor, while Samford allows a 41.0 percentage, second highest in the SoCon.
Rebounding could also be an advantage for the Spartans. UNCG leads the conference in rebounding with 40.0 boards per game, while Samford is dead last, pulling down 29.5 rebounds per contest. However, the Bulldogs rank second in the league in rebounding defense, allowing opponents to grab 34.6 rebounds per game.
Samford's Hannah Nichols ranks seventh in the conference in scoring, pouring in 13.7 points per game, while Cassidy Blevins' 10.0 PPG ranks 18th. Nichols shoots 42.6-percent from the floor, while Blevins hits 41.9-percent of her shots. Those percentages slot the duo at seventh and 10th in the league, respectively.
The Bulldogs have three of the top-11 three point shooters in the SoCon, headed by Katie Allen (41.4/2nd). Not far behind is Nichols (34.7/7th) and Blevins (31.8/11th). UNCG sits at sixth in the conference in three-point field goal percentage at 28.8-percent.
The Spartans and Bulldogs tipoff at 7:00 p.m. from the Pete Hanna Center in Birmingham, Alabama. Fans can follow the action live on their streaming device via ESPN3.
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