GREENSBORO, N.C. – As we continue to celebrate Women's History Month and the 50th Anniversary of Title IX, the 1981-82 UNC Greensboro (UNCG) women's basketball team set the foundation for excellence under legendary coach Lynne Agee.
The court in Fleming Gym bears Agee's name and with great reason.
The 1981-82 season began a string of seven-straight NCAA tournament appearances for UNCG and saw the Spartans earn a place in Division III history by playing in the inaugural Division III national championship contest in March 1982. UNCG finished with a 25-3 overall record. It was a perfect 12-0 in the Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, now the USA South Conference.
That season began a run of seven consecutive 20-win seasons for the women's basketball program
The 1981-82 squad finished as the runner-up in the inaugural NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship under Agee, who was in her first year at UNCG. The Spartans met host Elizabethtown (Pa.) College in the finals and lost 67-66 in overtime. UNCG displayed the Spartan spirit as it rallied from a nine-point halftime deficit to force overtime.
During the title run, UNCG defeated conference rival St. Andrew's 74-67, Susquehanna (Pa.) 74-66, and Pomona-Pitzer (Calif.), 77-66.
The team was led by senior All-American Carol Peschel, the university's first female to earn All-American honors. Peschel, who was named to the 1982 NCAA Division III All-Tournament team, was a long-time assistant coach in the women's basketball program after her playing days ended. Freshman Sherry Sydney was also named to the All-Tournament team.
In addition to Peschel and Sydney, the rest of the Spartans who played key roles during that memorable run to the championship game were Jackie Maffucci, Jody Mangus, Wendy Engelmann, Sue Reep, Michele Blazevich, Renee Coltrane, Jill Capps, Marie Cawley, and Brenda Tolbert. Susan Highfill was Agee's assistant coach.
During the season, the Spartans enjoyed winning streaks of 11 and 12 consecutive games. In addition to Elizabethtown, the only other teams to defeat UNCG that season were the University of Virginia and Atlantic Christian (now Barton). It was a 17-game improvement from the previous year as the 1980-81 team won eight games.
Meanwhile, Agee retired from coaching following the 2010-11 season with a career record of 602-334 in 33 seasons, 30 of which were spent at UNCG. She was inducted into the SoCon Hall of Fame in 2020.
Agee went 556-311 at the helm for the Spartans, including a 220-192 record in 14 years in the SoCon, a mark that leaves her fifth in league history in wins. With a 149-111 SoCon record, she ranks third in conference wins.
The first-ever coach to lead a team to the NCAA tournament in all three divisions, Agee guided UNCG to the 1998 SoCon tournament title and runner-up finishes in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2006. She directed the Spartans to SoCon regular-season titles in 1998-99 and 2001-02 and runner-up finishes in 1997-98 and 2005-06.
A two-time SoCon Coach of the Year and a recipient of a SoCon Distinguished Service Award in 2010-11, Agee coached two SoCon Preseason Players of the Year, the 2004-05 SoCon Freshman of the Year, the 2008-09 SoCon Defensive Player of the Year and two tournament Most Outstanding Players.
In addition to her team's success on the court, Agee's squads excelled in the classroom, as she mentored 27 Academic All-SoCon selections in her tenure. Agee was the first active coach to be enshrined in the UNCG Athletics Hall of Fame in 2004 and saw the court at her longtime home venue, Fleming Gymnasium, named for her in 2011.
