CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Four Spartans score in double figures as UNCG women's basketball's (8-15, 6-8) clinches the No. 5 spot in the upcoming Ingles SoCon Basketball Championship presented by General Shale with a 54-42 win over hosts Western Carolina (6-17, 3-10). Senior guard CeCe Crudup tallied a game-high 16 points, while Khalis Cain's 12 points and 12 boards gave the freshman her third double-double of the year.

UNCG doubled up on the Catamounts in the first 10 minutes, scoring 16 to WCU's eight in the opening quarter. A pair of Pernilla Sorensen threes helped get the visitors off to a 10-2 start, as the Spartan defense held the home team to four buckets while forcing five Western Carolina turnovers. 

WCU struck a blow back at UNCG in the second quarter, this time doubling up the Spartans 19-8. Cain scored eight of her 12 in the first half to help keep the Spartans within a point of their hosts, with the Catamounts taking a 26-25 lead into the halftime break. 

A dominant third quarter ultimately clinched the decision for the Spartans however, as coach Patterson's side made an impression on both sides of the floor. With UNCG hitting 7-for-13 (53.8) on offense, the WCU offense was inversely held to just three field goals, including an 0-for-4 showing from beyond the arc. The Spartans scored 14 of the last 16 points of the quarter, working off of a seven-point quarter from Crudup to take a commanding 43-32 lead.

Holding an 11-point advantage going into the fourth, the Spartans did enough to keep their opponents below the 50-point mark, with the Catamounts unable to muster more than three field goals once again in the fourth. Cain completed her double-double with 4:27 remaining in the contest, while Jaylynn Brown scored seven to become the fourth Spartan of the night to hit double-digits. 

Her effort helped to secure the 54-42 final, as UNCG held their opponent to under 50 points for the sixth time this year, and the third time in SoCon play.

>> Crudup, Cain, Brown and Sorensen scored 16, 12, 12 and 10 respectively, the first time four Spartans have scored double digits in a single contest since February 22, 2020
>> After averaging just over three minutes a game over the first 18 contests of the season, Brown has been getting on the floor at a rate of 25.8 minutes per game in the Spartans' last five matchups. They are 4-1 over that span, with Brown averaging 11.6 points in that period
>> With the win over the Catamounts, the Spartans cement the No. 5 spot in this year's SoCon Championship tournament, playing No. 4 Wofford in the quarterfinals. The Spartans have not been a No. 5 seed since the 2002-03 season.

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