GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) women's basketball team will begin the second half of The Southern Conference (SoCon) schedule by traveling to Macon, Georgia, to take on the Mercer Bears on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. in Hawkins Arena. UNCG will conclude the week at Samford on Saturday, for a 3:00 p.m. EST/2:00 p.m. CST tip-off in the Pete Hanna Center.
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE SPARTANS
- UNCG most recently picked up a 55-46 victory over the Western Carolina Catamounts on Sunday inside Bodford Arena.
- Jeni Levine led all scorers with 19 points, marking her 18th game this season in double-figures.
- Jaila Lee, Ciara Harris and Mia Simpson chipped in eight points each.
- Tasia Johnson paced the contest with a new career-best 11 rebounds.
- UNCG bested Western Carolina in points in the paint (30-16), second chance points (13-4), fast break points (7-4) and bench points (24-6).
- The Spartans won the rebounding battle, 30-15.
ABOUT THE SPARTANS
- UNCG comes into the week with a 13-9 overall record and 3-4 mark in the SoCon, sitting in fifth place in the conference standings.
- UNCG is leading the SoCon in five statistical categories: assist/turnover ratio (0.95), assists per game (14.1), scoring defense (54.2), scoring margin (11.5) and turnover margin (3.68).
- The Blue & Gold are second in the league in offensive rebounds per game (13.3), three-point attempts per game (24.2), three-point percentage (32.3) and three-pointers per game (7.8).
- The Spartans' 54.2 scoring defense is seventh in the country.
- Levine paces the SoCon in points (331), points per game (15.0) and field goal attempts (293).
- Makiah Asidanya leads the conference with a 37.8 three-point percentage and is second with 45 three-pointers this season.
- Lee is second in the SoCon at the charity stripe with a 90.9 percentage.
- Levine (15.0) and Asidanya (10.9) are pacing the Spartans in double-figure scoring this season.
- UNCG is leading its opponents in several statistical categories: points (65.6-54.2), field goals (23.5-19.5), three-pointers (7.8-5.0), free throws (10.7-10.2), rebounding (37.7-33.3), assists (14.1-9.6), assist/turnover ratio (1.0-0.5), points off turnovers (17.8-11.5) and steals (9.4-7.3).
- Asidanya (Nov. 11) and Lee (Jan. 13) have both picked up SoCon Player of the Week accolades for the 2025-26 season.
- UNCG was voted to finish second with two first-place votes in the SoCon Preseason Coaches' Poll.
- Lee and Asidanya were selected to the SoCon Preseason All-Conference Team after both of their stellar performances last season.
- The reigning SoCon Coach of the Year, Head Coach Trina Patterson is in her 10th year with the Blue & Gold this season.
- The 2025-26 roster features five returners and eight newcomers. Four of the newcomers are freshmen, while the other four are transfer students.
- UNCG comes into the 2025-26 season after a historic 2024-25 campaign.
- The Spartans earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament last season for the first time since 1998. The team defeated Chattanooga, 64-57, in The 2025 SoCon Championship, earning an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
- The team fell to No. 1 USC in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, California.
SCOUTING THE BEARS
- Mercer comes into Thursday's contest with a 12-9 overall record and 2-4 league record, sitting just behind UNCG in the SoCon standings at sixth place.
- The Bears most recently fell in a 72-59 loss at Chattanooga on Friday, Jan. 30.
- Mercer is pacing the SoCon in free throws made per game (14.62) and is second in free throw attempts per game (19.90), steals per game (9.6) and turnovers forced per game (18.76).
- Abigail Holtman is second in the league in three-point percentage (37.7) and three-pointers per game (2.35).
- Nahawa Diarra (11.4), Ariana Bennett (11.3) and Holtman (11.1) are leading the Bears in double-figure scoring.
- Defensively, Bennett leads the team in blocks (20), Diarra paces the squad in total rebounds (106) and Talia Kemp stands out in steals (37).
- Mercer was picked to finish last in the SoCon Preseason Coaches' Poll.
- Bennett was named to the Preseason All-Conference Team ahead of the 2025-26 season.
- Head Coach Michelle Clark-Heard is in her second season with the Bears and led the team to an 8-22 overall record last year.
- Mercer's 2024-25 season was concluded with a 68-47 loss to the Chattanooga Mocs in the First Round of the SoCon Tournament.
SERIES HISTORY VS THE BEARS
Mercer leads the overall series against UNCG at 18-9. UNCG claimed the previous meeting with Mercer this season with a 76-59 victory in Bodford Arena on Saturday, Jan. 10.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
- Samford comes into the week with an 8-16 overall record and 1-6 SoCon mark, sitting in seventh place.
- Samford's lone SoCon win this season came at Western Carolina on Saturday, Jan. 10, 73-62.
- Since then, the Bulldogs have dropped their last five games with most recently falling at Chattanooga, 61-40, on Sunday, Feb. 1.
- The Bulldogs are pacing the SoCon in bench points per game (22.8), three-point attempts per game (27.8) and three-pointers per game (8.5).
- Briana Rivera leads the conference in three-point attempts (215), total three-pointers (76) and three-pointers per game (3.17).
- Her 3.17 three-pointers per game is second in the country.
- Kaylee Yarbrough (13.0) and Rivera (11.0) pace Samford in double-figure scoring.
- Emily Snoddy leads the squad with a 5.4 rebounding average.
- Sierra Godbolt is the best facilitator on the team with a 2.9 assists per game average.
- Carla Baguda stands out with a 1.3 average in blocks.
- Jada Knight and Godbolt lead Samford averaging 1.0 steals per game each.
- The Bulldogs were picked to finish sixth in the SoCon Preseason Coaches' Poll.
- Redshirt senior Emily Bowman was selected to 2025-26 Preseason All-SoCon Team.
- Head Coach Matt Wise is in his first season with the Bulldogs.
- The Bulldogs concluded the 2024-25 season 12-19 overall and 7-7 in the SoCon.
- The team fell to Wofford, 58-56, in the First Round of the SoCon Tournament to wrap up last season.
- Samford will host Western Carolina on Thursday before welcoming UNCG on Saturday.
SERIES HISTORY VS THE BULLDOGS
The Spartans trail the overall meetings against the Bulldogs at 27-11. However, UNCG earned its 2026 SoCon opener against Samford, 73-64, in Bodford Arena on Thursday, Jan. 8.
PURCHASE UNCG GEAR
Click here for your one-stop shop for all of your official UNCG merchandise! From apparel to accessories, there is something for everyone!
FLEMING GYMNASIUM RENAMED BODFORD ARENA
- On Saturday, Nov. 8, Fleming Gymnasium, home to UNCG volleyball, women's basketball and men's basketball was renamed to Bodford Arena.
- This historic moment for the department was made possible through a transformational $2 million gift from the Bodford family.
- This generous support represents the largest unrestricted gift in the history of UNCG Athletics, as well as the first associated with naming a competitive athletic facility.
- The University is already familiar with the Bodford name - the Bodford Family Speed, Strength & Conditioning Center was dedicated in October 2020.
UNCG WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TICKET INFORMATION
To secure your tickets for UNCG women's basketball home games click
HERE for options including single games, group discounts and full season ticket options. All (14) home games will be played on campus in Bodford Arena. UNCG faculty/staff and students are free with their ID. To learn more about upcoming ticket promotions or to purchase over the phone call the UNCG Ticket Office at 336-334-3250 or email
admoore10@uncg.edu.
UP NEXT
The Spartans return to Greensboro to conclude their 2025-26 home slate. UNCG will host Wofford on Thursday, Feb. 12 at 7:00 p.m. and Furman on Saturday, Feb. 14 at 2:00 p.m.
For Thursday's game against the Terriers, the first 300 fans receive a FREE Replica Championship Ring! It will also be Reading Day, Women in Business, Black History Celebration Game and SAAC Game!
Saturday's game against the Paladins will be a part of a doubleheader with UNCG men's basketball taking on Wofford at 5:00 p.m. Fans who attend the women's game (who do not already have a ticket to the men's game) are able to stay for the men's game but must relocate to the back of section five in Bodford Arena upon conclusion of the 2:00 p.m. game. If fans have a men's ticket, you are allowed to enter the women's game.
In addition, prior to Saturday's game against Furman,
Jeni Levine,
Tasia Johnson,
Jaila Lee,
Rylan Moffitt and
Mia Simpson will all be recognized in a special Senior Day ceremony for their hard work and dedication to the UNCG women's basketball program.
