GREENVILLE, S.C. - UNCG women's basketball (15-4, 4-0) battled for their ninth-straight win, defeating Furman (12-7, 3-2), 59-53, Thursday night in Greenville, S.C. With clutch shooting down the stretch, the Spartans escaped Paladin country with a 4-0 record atop the Souther Conference.
Nadine Soliman scored a team-high 16 points and seven rebounds. With 1,878 career points, she's just 30 shy of setting a new program scoring record. Furman guard Le'Jzae Davidson led all players with 26 points.
The capacity crowd waited patiently, but got some fireworks late in the fourth quarter, as both teams exchanged clutch baskets to keep the pressure on both sides.
Alexus Willey (12 points) proved why she should be counted on and given the ball in crucial moments for the Spartans. The senior forward connected on back-to-back pull-up jumpers from long range to keep the heat on the Paladin guards. Davidson wouldn't stop answering on the other end, sticking another three to bring Furman within four points with 56 seconds left in regulation. Soliman then drove through the lane for the contested layup, sealing the UNCG victory.
Te'ja Twitty racked up 12 rebounds, just one shy of tying her season-best mark. She also chipped in five points, three assists and two steals. Teammate
Aja Boyd put together another consistent effort for UNCG, totaling eight points, seven rebounds and three blocks.
Junior guard
Cece Crudup (five points, five boards) got the group rolling in the opening quarter, tearing off the team's first five points of the game. The Paladins ripped off their own 5-0 run, as the teams went back and forth in the opening frame. Soliman (14 first half points) tallied eight second quarter points and kept the engine running early on. The Cairo, Egypt native seemed to be feeling it from all over the floor, creating a pair of three-point plays and a momentum building knockdown from deep.
The bench for the Spartans showed up to play. The combination of Willey,
Amber Redmond (career-high seven points) and
Alexis Pitchford (six points) outscored the Paladins bench, 25-0. Pitchford arguably recorded the most efficient game of the group, also registering five assists, two rebounds and two steals. Her ball pressure was evident against a highly-competitive Furman backcourt and her basketball IQ was on display. The Spartans held their own on the boards, doing what they could against a Furman team excelling in the post this season. Tierra Hodges grabbed 14 rebounds, giving the Paladins a 42-37 advantage.
UP NEXT
It's a quick turnaround for UNCG. They'll enjoy the win, but a road matchup at Wofford awaits on Saturday at 2 p.m. The Spartans take their winning streak to Spartanburg and hope to create more separation in the SoCon standings.
