JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - Freshman forward Khalis Cain contributed her second double-double of the past three games as UNCG women's basketball (3-11, 1-4) falls to ETSU (3-9, 1-4) on the road by a final of 58-48. Cain delivered 13 points and 10 rebounds on the afternoon, just a single point ahead of senior guard CeCe Crudup, who contributed four boards of her own. 

The Spartans had the scoring touch in the first quarter, knocking down 50-percent of their shots in the opening 10 minutes, but six turnovers would limit the visitors' chances to just 10 shots. A three-pointer from senior Tori Powell started the scoring for UNCG, her fourth of the weekend, but it was ETSU that took the 15-12 advantage into the first break. 

After having success with the press during Friday's game, the Bucs incorporated the defensive strategy throughout the majority of Sunday's contest, forcing another four turnovers in the second quarter, for a total of 10 before halftime. The Spartan offense opened the scoring in the second term off a pair of free throws from Amber Redmond but saw their deficit widen as the Bucs responded with a 12-4 run to close out the rest of the first half and take a 27-18 scoreline into the break. 

Allowing the Bucs to open the second half with five unanswered points, the Spartan comeback began as coach Trina Patterson's side started to slowly chip away at the ETSU lead. Crudup and Cain would both deliver in the third, combining for seven of their team's 14 points and four of their nine boards. Keeping their hosts to just four buckets in the period, the Spartans would come within six points of the Buccaneers, hoping to erase the 38-32 deficit they held going into the final quarter.

ETSU responded in form however, opening the final period on an 8-0 run, stretching its lead to as much as 14 with 7:24 remaining. The Spartans wouldn't go quietly, putting together their most productive quarter offensively with 16 points. Nine of those came from Cain, who sparked a potential UNCG comeback late in the game after completing a pair of and-1 opportunities with a minute remaining. Her effort gave the freshman forward a total of 13 on the afternoon, while her 10 rebounds were enough to secure her second double-double in the past three games. 

The home team's increased advantage proved too much to overcome however, with the Bucs doing just enough in the waning minutes to hold onto a 58-48 victory.

>> With her 10 rebounds Cain has now put in double-digit performances in each of her past five appearances. She's averaging 12 boards during that span, along with 8.8 points and 1.6 blocks per contest
>> 10 of the Spartans' 48 points came off second-chance opportunities, with UNCG beating its opponent 15-9 on the offensive glass
>> After Cain and Crudup, sophomore Amber Redmond poured in eight points while shooting 2-for-3 from the floor and 4-for-4 at the foul line. She also had four rebounds, a pair of which came on the offensive end 

COMING UP NEXT
The Spartans return home to host another two-game series against visiting Wofford. Game one of the weekend homestand will start with a 7 p.m. tip on Thursday, January 28th, followed by a 1 p.m. start on Sunday, January 30th. 

The Spartans are 36-14 against the Terriers all-time but have split each of their past two season series with the side. 

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