JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) women's basketball team fell to ETSU, 54-74 on Saturday afternoon at the Freedom Hall in Southern Conference (SoCon) play.
 
Faith Price had a team high in points (12). Akira Wiggins had a team high of four assists and two blocks. Antoniette Emma-Nnopu matched her career high of 11 rebounds for a game high. 

HOW IT HAPPENED 
ETSU put points on the board first with a layup from Courtney Brown for a 2-0 lead. The Spartans came back with a three pointer from Price, 3-2. The Bucs quickly took the lead back with Jakhyia Davis and Journee McDaniel both making layups to bring the lead to three, 6-3. The Spartans cut the deficit to one, twice in the frame, once on a jumper by Wiggins at 3:55 and then later on a layup by Emma-Nnopu with 3:00 left, 8-7. ETSU ended the quarter with a six-point led after Jiselle Thomas had a layup at 1:46 left, 15-9. 

The Bucs' Kendall Folley made a free throw in the first 63 seconds to start out the frame to make it a seven-point advantage,16-9. The Spartans cut the deficit to 4 twice in the frame, once on a three pointer by Price at 3:32 and then later on a layup by Nia Howard with 1:27 left, 26-30. The Spartans had eight points from the bench compared to the Bucs 1 in the second quarter. 

ETSU had a four-point run to start the third quarter behind two free throws from Thomas and a layup by Folley. Nia Howard made back-to-back layups in a minute, to cut the Spartans' deficit to eight, 32-40. Kennedy Simpson's layup with 3:02 left in the quarter was the Spartans' final basket of the frame, 39-48. The Bucs scored five-straight points to end the quarter to make it a 14-point advantage, 53-39. 
 
UNCG went on a 7-2 run to start the fourth quarter, where Khalis Cain and Howard each made two free throws each and Price made her fourth three pointer of the game to cut the deficit to nine, 46-55. The two teams traded baskets for two minutes before ETSU went on a nine-point run bringing the advantage to 16, 52-68. ETSU's expanded its lead with a layup by Thomas at 0:18 seeing the largest lead of 21 and the Bucs ending the game with a 20-point lead after UNCG's Wiggins made a free throw at 0:09 to end the game 74-54. 
 
BY THE NUMBERS

• UNCG had 17 bench points compared to ETSU's 11. 
• Price had a team high of 12 points.
• Emma-Nnopu had 11 rebounds to tie her career high.
• Wiggins had two blocks for a team high. 
• Howard, Wiggins and Emma-Nnopu all had eight points for the Spartans. 

RECORDS
ETSU: 17-6, 4-3 SoCon
UNCG: 10-11 3-4 SoCon
 
UP NEXT
The Spartans return home to host Samford on Thursday, February 2 at 7:00 p.m. and then play Mercer in Fleming Gym on Saturday, February 4 at 4:00 p.m.

Prior to the game against the Bears, the Spartans will host a Black History Month Celebration on the second floor of the Coleman Building on the campus of UNCG starting at 2:30 p.m. There will be black-owned food trucks and vendors until 5:30 p.m. It is free and open to the public.