BIRMINGHAM, ALA. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) women's basketball team fell in a close contest to the Samford Bulldogs, 68-64, on Saturday afternoon in The Southern Conference (SoCon) play at Pete Hanna Center in Birmingham, Alabama.
 
Mia Simpson led the Spartans with a season-best 16 points. Jaila Lee followed closely behind with 15 points, while Jeni Levine added 12 points to round out the Spartans in double-figures.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Both teams exchanged three-pointers before Samford tallied a 7-2 run to take a five-point lead at 6:20, 10-5. Four-straight Spartan points made it a one-point game at 5:20, 10-9, but Samford continued to maintain the advantage. The first frame ended just as it started with both teams trading triples, but the Bulldogs held the seven-point edge at the break, 25-18.
 
The scoring went back-and-forth until the Spartans tallied 10 unanswered points to take a three-point lead at 2:12, 32-29. Samford's Aubrey Blankenship knocked down a triple at 1:49 to tie things up, 32-32. However, Simpson got off the final basket with 37 seconds on the clock to give UNCG the two-point cushion at the half, 34-32.
 
Both teams continued to go back-and-forth coming out of the locker room, but Samford held the scoring edge, 22-16. With UNCG having a 48-45 lead at 3:24, Samford tallied an 8-0 run to take a six-point advantage, 54-38 with 39 seconds on the clock. Rylan Moffitt recorded the final two points of the stanza with a layup, cutting UNCG's deficit to four going to the huddle, 54-40.
 
The fourth quarter came down to the wire with the Bulldogs starting off strong with a 6-2 run to take an eight-point lead, 60-52. The Spartans rallied back for a 7-2 run to make it a one possession game at 3:29, 62-59. Both teams continued to trade off points, until at 1:24, Levine launched a triple, cutting UNCG's deficit to two, 66-64. However, Samford's Briana Rivera went 2-for-2 at the free throw line to secure the 68-64 victory for the Bulldogs.
  
BY THE NUMBERS

• Leyla Minor paced the Spartans with six boards, while Levine added five.
• Makiah Asidanya and Minor chipped in seven and six points, respectively.
• Levine led the contest with five assists.
• Moffitt, Minor and Kristina Rakotobe all collected one block apiece.
• Simpson led the game with a new career-best five steals.
• UNCG led the way in points off turnovers (24-10), second chance points (9-4), points in the paint (30-28), fast break points (15-9) and steals (14-5).
• Samford bested UNCG in rebounds (38-26), bench points (14-10), blocks (4-3) and assists (15-11).

RECORDS
UNCG: 13-11, 3-6 SoCon
SAM: 10-16, 3-6 SoCon

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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 2024-25 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.