GREENSBORO, N.C. - Hosts UNCW (3-1, 0-0), just outlasted UNCG women's basketball (0-5, 0-0) in Friday night, taking a 60-55 victory at Trask Coliseum in Wilmington. Three Spartans scored in double figures on the evening, with senior CeCe Crudup adding eight assists and a team-high 12 rebounds. 

"We had some growth today," said head coach Trina Patterson in postgame. "We had a triple-double in the making. I was really pleased with CeCe [Crudup]'s 12 rebounds and eight assists. We thought that that assist column, has been an achiles heel for us this so far this year. To go up to 17 assists in a game, means we're sharing the ball more, which led to three people scoring in double figures..." 

Pernilla Sorensen had the hot hand in the first 20 minutes, knocking down four threes in the opening half. The senior was the first to score on the afternoon and went 2-for-3 from beyond the arc in the first quarter to help her team to an early lead. Junior transfer Chatori Tyler had a three of her own to give the Spartans a .429 average from deep to start, with UNCG taking an 18-13 lead into the second. 

The Spartans led for the entirety of the following quarter, this time using their defensive prowess to hold onto a 29-23 advantage. The Seahawks were kept to just four field goals and 10 points, while Sorensen added another six points to her running total. Pulling down a team-high five boards in the first half, senior guard CeCe Crudup added three assists as well, along with a single steal. 

UNCG's advantage at the half came in a full team effort however, as multiple Spartans saw an increased playing role on Friday night. While freshman Khalis Cain scored eight in the first start of her career, the forward combined with teammate Jayla Johnson for 47 minutes played.

"I'm really pleased with Khalis Cain, a freshman going through her first start," said Patterson. "With her growth and the way that she's going she can be really special. Jayla Johnson came in as the back up point guard and I was really pleased with her performance as well."

The home team responded in the second half to overcome the Spartans' lead, opening the third quarter on a 16-5 run that would put Coach Patterson's side back by five. The two sides continued to trade blows however, with the visitors getting within two in the final 1:39 of the third quarter. 

Crudup and her teammates continued to feed off one another in the second half, as another five assists from the guard helped to bring both Chatori Tyler and Tori Powell into double digits in the scoring column. 

Powell hit a pair of threes in the final seven minutes, to help her team respond to another increased lead from the home side, finishing the half with eight in all. UNCG would get back within a possession with nine seconds remaining on the clock, but the Seahawks' free throw shooting secured the 60-55 victory down the stretch.

>> Sorensen finished with a team-high, and a new career-best, 15 points on the night, beating the previous career-high of 11 she set against North Carolina at the start of the year
>> Tyler and Powell finished with 11 points and three three-pointers apiece, with the latter adding three assists and three boards
>> Crudup pulled down 12 of her team's 33 rebounds on the night, three of which came on the offensive glass. Her eight assists tied a career-high and put her within two helpers of a unique rebound-assist double-double

Coming Up Next
The Spartans return home for their fourth game in Fleming this season, competing in the 'Battle for the Boro' with crosstown rival North Carolina A&T. UNCG is 13-6 against the Aggies all-time, but lost to A&T last season by a score of 57-48, breaking a streak of 10 straight wins against their fellow Greensboro opponent. 

#letsgoG