JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - In a game of ebbs, flows and momentum shifts, UNCG women's basketball (3-10, 1-3) took the first of their weekend series at ETSU (2-9, 0-4) by a final of 56-53. The Spartans had three players score in double figures, led by seniors Tori Powell and Pernilla Sorensen's 12 apiece, while freshman forward Khalis Cain finished two points short of her second consecutive double-double with 12 rebounds and eight points. 

I'm really proud of the adustments that they made when they were being chased, because they did chase us, but we never let them take back and hold onto the lead," said head coach Trina Patterson. "We went over and we regrouped in the huddle, and had to be mentally tough. I thought that the free throws by Sway [Jayla Johnson] and CeCe [Crudup] just showed the ice in their veins. I thought we made some really great plays down the stretch. Pernilla [Sorensen] made a big three and then we got some stops at the end."

The first quarter belonged to Powell, as the senior guard was a perfect 3-for-3 to start the contest, hitting a pair of threes before the game was six minutes old. Powell's eight points were enough to give the Spartans the early advantage after 10 minutes, with the visiting team holding the Bucs to just three field goals before the first break. The Spartans outrebounded their hosts 14-8 during that time, thanks in part to a five-board effort from Cain, giving coach Patterson's side the 15-8 lead going into the second quarter. 

"...We knew that if we didn't rebound, we were not going to win," said Patterson. "Khalis [Cain] did a great job, especially grabbing defensive rebounds, and making sure that they were one-and-done."

Cain continued to dominate the glass into the second quarter, finishing the half with nine in all and three boards on the offensive end. Pernilla Sorensen and Rhianna Council added to Powell's pair with threes of their own as the former scored her first points since returning from an injury sustained back in December. 

The UNCG defense held ETSU to just 20 points in the first half, as the home team went a paltry 3-for-18 from beyond the arc in the opening 20 minutes. The Spartans' defense was enough to keep their hosts to a 24.1 shooting percentage to the start the contest, giving UNCG a 27-20 lead at the half. 

The Spartans shot efficiently at the start of the second half, expanding their lead by hitting 5-of-9 from the floor and claim a 42-30 lead into the final 10 minutes. Sorensen's touch continued to return during that third period hitting another pair of threes before the start of the fourth.

It took 30 minutes, but the home team eventually found its shooting touch, opening the fourth quarter on a 14-4 run and pulling within a possession of the Spartans with 4:27 remaining in regulation, eventually tying things at 46-all with just over three minutes remaining. The Bucs scored 12 of their 23 points in the quarter in transition, and seemed to have all the momentum going down the stretch.

"This ETSU team is a really good team," commented Patterson. "They fought back at Wofford too, forcing double-overtime. They never give up and we knew that their athleticism could affect us, because they are small and quick, but we just have to do better with not panicking against the press."

Another timely three-pointer from Sorensen would put the Spartans ahead by three under the two minute mark however, dampening the home team's bid to come back and upset. A recomposed Spartan-side went 8-for-8 from the charity stripe in the final 60 seconds to claim the 56-53 lead, with six of those conversions coming from senior guard CeCe Crudup.

>> While Powell and Sorensen tied a game-high of 12, Crudup's eight points in the final period gave the guard her seventh double-digit performance of the season, finishing with 10 points, five boards and three assists
>> Cain collected 12 of her team's 33 boards on Friday to deliver her fifth double-digit showing of the current season, four of which have come in her past four appearances
>> The Spartans are now on a four-game winning streak when playing ETSU, after sweeping the side in three meetings during the previous campaign. The 53 points the Bucs had on the night is the most they have scored between those four contests

COMING UP NEXT
UNCG rematches with the Bucs on Sunday, hoping to make it five-straight against the team from Johnson City. That contest is currently scheduled for a 2 p.m. tipoff, and will be broadcast on ESPN+.

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