SPARTAN ESSENTIALS
Who: Lenoir-Rhyne (1-2)
Where: Fleming Gym | Greensboro, N.C.
When: Sunday, November 21 | 2 p.m. 
Watch (ESPN+) | Live Stats 

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Fresh off a 30-point victory over Winthrop, the UNC Greensboro (UNCG) women's basketball team returns home to meet Lenoir-Rhyne in a Sunday matinee inside of Fleming Gym.
 
The Spartans are excited to keep the good times rolling as they have started the season with victories in two of their first three games. The keys to UNCG's early success have been:
 

• A consistently strong inside presence with the duo of Khalis Cain and Isys Grady evolving into a problem for opponents. They have combined for 24.0 points and 18.4 rebounds per contest.
• A stingy defense allowing 47.7 points per game and limiting teams to 32.5 percent shooting. Both marks lead the Southern Conference.

 
Against Winthrop, the Spartans showcased another facet of their game in making eight 3-pointers, the most in a contest since last season against ETSU. If they get consistent 3-point shooting to go with their lockdown defense and inside threats, then the world champion Chicago Sky may want to watch their backs.
 
Last Time Out

• During its 69-39 win over Winthrop, Grady (16 points) and freshman Nia Howard (15) established career-high scoring totals.
• UNCG had 21 assists on its 26 baskets, including a stretch of helpers on 16 consecutive baskets.
• The Spartans won the rebounding battle, 42-26 and held Winthrop to a single-digit scoring total in the second and fourth quarters.

 
A Look At UNCG

• Grady is averaging 15 points over her last two games.
• Cain has consecutive double-doubles.
• Cain leads the SoCon in rebounding (11.7) and blocked shots (2.7).
• She is also fourth in the conference in field goal percentage (51.9) and Grady is fifth (51.7).
• Nitzan Amar is third in the conference in assists (4.0) after dishing a career best six against Winthrop.
• Jaylynn Brown is averaging 8.7 points per game.
• Howard leads UNCG with 5 3-pointers, all coming in the game against Winthrop.
• CeCe Crudup scored a season-best eight points against Winthrop.
• UNCG leads the SoCon in scoring defense, free-throw percentage, and field-goal percentage defense. It is second in blocked shots.
• In an odd scheduling quirk, six of UNCG's first eight games start at 2 p.m. or earlier.
• UNCG is 4-1 all-time against the Bears following an 84-59 win during the 2019-20 season.

 
A Look At Lenoir-Rhyne

• Lenoir-Rhyne is a member of the South Atlantic Conference (SAC).
• The Bears' top player is sophomore Emily Harman, who was named the SAC Player of the Week on Nov. 15.
• She picked up 20 points, 12 rebounds, one block and one assist in their win over USC Aiken, while garnering 14 points, five rebounds and five assists against Lander.
• Harman is the reigning SAC Freshman of the Year, and averaged 14.6 points per game in last season. 
• Lenoir-Rhyne lost to the third-ranked Division II program, Lander, and dropped an overtime decision to Wingate.
• In the loss to Wingate, the Bears were led by Harman with 18 points, Brandi Hudson (15) and Maddie Dillinger (13). 
• The Bears finished with 15 blocks on the night. Dillinger had four and Blaikley Crooks had three for the Bears.
• The Bears lost to Radford, 75-46, on Friday in an exhibition.

 
Up Next

• UNCG will compete in the Coastal Carolina tournament this weekend. The Spartans will play Coastal Carolina on Friday, Nov. 26 at 2 p.m. and Gardner-Webb on Sunday, Nov. 28 at 11 a.m.