UNCG Women’s Basketball Travels to Mercer for SoCon Opener Thursday

UNCG Women’s Basketball Travels to Mercer for SoCon Opener Thursday

MERCER, Ga .- The UNC Greensboro’s (UNCG) women’s basketball team hits the road to open Southern Conference (SoCon) play against the Mercer Bears on Thursday with a start time of 7 p.m.

GAME INFO
Where: Macon, Ga. | Hawkins Arena
When: Thursday, January 5
Time: 7 p.m.

UNCG NOTE: Sophomore guard Nasia Powell will be out for the remainder of the season due to an ACL injury.

LAST TIME OUT
The Spartans beat the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears 68-60 in UNCG’s final non-conference game of the season.
Akira Wiggins had 17 points to lead the team.
Wiggins led the game with four assists.
Three Spartans notched double-doubles in the win.
Khalis Cain had 15 points, 11 rebounds.
Isys Grady had 11 points, 11 rebounds.
Antoniette Emma-Nnopu had 10 points, 11 rebounds.
UNCG had 50 points in the paint compared to Lenoir-Rhyne’s 44.
Khalis Cain had the most blocks in the game with two.

SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
UNCG is leading the conference in blocks per game (3.2), steals per game (9.1), and turnovers forced per game (19.57).
As a team, the Spartans are 29th in the nation in offensive rebounds per game (15.1), 60th in turnovers forced per game (19.57), and 78th in three-point attempts per game (22.9).
Wiggins and Faith Price are leading the team with 10.4 points per game.
Among the nation, Cain is fourth in offensive rebounds per game (4.8), 28th in rebounds (134), 30th in blocks (24), 36th in rebounds per game (9.6), 46th in blocks per game (1.71).
Price is ranked 12th nationally in three-point attempts (94), 29th in three pointers (38), and 40th in three pointers per game (2.71).
UNCG has won three of the last four games.

SCOUTING MERCER BEARS
Mercer University is ranked first in the conference free throw percentage (77.5), and three-point percentage (37.2).
The Bears are fourth in field goal percentage (40.4), field goal percentage defense (40.2) and three-point percentage defense (29.9) in the conference.
Mercer is nationally ranked 16th in three-point percentage and 22nd in free throw percentage.
Erin Houpt leads the Bears in three-point percentage (32) and free throw percentage (96.7)
Houpt is nationally ranked third in free throw percentage.
Amoria Neal-Tysor is ranked fifth in the conference in field goal percentage (42.0) and field goal attempts (143).
Jaron Dougherty is ranked third in the conference for blocks per game (1.00).
Opponents are outscoring Mercer 70.4-61.8.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE
UNCG continues the road trip with a Saturday, January 7 matchup at Samford at 3 p.m. EST.
The Spartans play five of seven January contests on the road, with their only two home games coming January 12 against Furman and January 14 versus Wofford.
SERIES HISTORY/LAST MATCHUP

Mercer has won the last 16 games and leads the series with a 3-16 record.

Courtesy of Denise Archetto
Assistant Athletic Director For Strategic Communications
UNC Greensboro