KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Playing in one of America's most iconic facilities didn't intimidate the UNC Greensboro (UNCG) women's basketball team.
 
The Spartans battled hard before dropping a 66-40 decision to Tennessee in their penultimate non-conference contest of the season at Thompson-Boling Arena Sunday afternoon.
 
"With a short turnaround, I feel really proud about the progress of my team," UNCG head coach Trina Patterson said. "Our team played hard and we celebrated the small things. That was the goal. We wanted to make sure we competed and learned how to handle those valley situations. We were never going to be to down after mistakes and I thought we accomplished our goals."
 
Senior guard Tori Powell continued her recent sterling play by scoring double figures for the third time in her last four games. She led UNCG with a career-best and game-high 16 points.  
 
Powell had it going on as she was 4-of-8 from 3-point distance. Powell's fourth triple was a twisting up-and-under deep shot late in the game that would've made every Lady Vol alumnae proud. She also complemented her memorable performance with four rebounds.
 
"I am proud of Tori's performance," Patterson said. "She played with a lot of poise today. Tori's developed her 3-point shooting percentage. I thought this was good growth for Tori. She worked on her game and I am proud of her effort. Her stat line looked good and that's going to do great for her confidence."
 
Powell made great decisions with the ball throughout the contest and didn't hesitate to attack offensively. Over UNCG's last four games, Powell is sizzling, averaging 12 points. Powell has also made 11 3-pointers during that span.
 
As a women's basketball athlete competing in an sparkling arena and beneath the large orange-and-white banners featuring the legendary names of the sport like Candace Parker, Tamika Catchings, and Chamique Holdsclaw on a court named for pioneering coach Pat Summitt is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that the Spartans cherished.
 
Tennessee is one of the revered women's basketball programs in the history of the sport. Playing here is like walking into a living museum and witnessing the evolution of the sport. However, for all of its history and eight national championships, Tennessee had never defeated UNCG entering this matchup.
 
Thompson-Boling Arena is the third largest on-campus basketball arena in the country and is one of the nation's biggest and brightest stages for college basketball.  
 
"It was definitely a blessing to be here today," said Powell of playing at Tennessee. "I think that not everybody gets a chance to play on big stages like this and this was a big one for me. I think the biggest one I've ever experienced in my five years of being a collegiate athlete. It was definitely a milestone for me personally."
 
This experience will help the Spartans once they begin Southern Conference (SoCon) competition) and when they get healthy. UNCG competed with nine healthy players and without three starters. They competed with tenacity and created quality scoring opportunities for themselves throughout the game.
 
During one impressive sequence in the fourth quarter, Lillian Izundu swatted a shot halfway back to Greensboro and dove on the floor for a loose ball.
 
"We know how special of an opportunity it is to play in this arena with such a strong tradition," Patterson said.
 
Inside the Numbers

• UNCG recorded an assist on its first five baskets.
• Khalis Cain and Izundu had six rebounds each.
• Rhianna Council added a season-best five points and five rebounds.
• Excellanxt Greer scored a career-high six points on a pair of 3-pointers.
• Cain and Council had two steals each.
• All 11 Tennessee players who saw action scored highlighted by 13 points from Kasiyahna Kushkituah.

 
Final Word
"My biggest takeaway from today is seeing what we're made of," Powell said. "In the past, we've been inconsistent in how we've played and going into Christmas, this is a big accomplishment for us to see how we can play together and be effective on both sides of the court especially defensively."
 
Up Next

• The Spartans are off for the holiday and will return to action on Sunday, Jan. 3 when they host Converse College at Fleming Gym at 2 p.m.